SAW VIII
by BillyThePuppet
Summary: My version, what happens after Doctor Lawrence Gordon left Ex-Detective Lietenant Mark Hoffman in this famous bathroom


**SAW VIII**

**Prologue**

"Let me outta here!", dies away the voice of Detective Lieutenant Mark Hoffman in his own basement, "Gordon, you son of a bitch, I'll kill you!", he stops shortly. The insight of the uselessness of his distressed calls comes over him. No one can hear him, or in the case, somebody listens, he won't help.

Again he pulls the iron chain.

Come on, buckle!

It doesn't make any sense. All his hope is gone, "I'll kill you...!", he sobs. He never ever thought John, this 'son of a bitch', will really make provisions, in case Jill suddenly dies. The fact, that HE should get in such a trap, like the Reverse Bear Trap... Although he cherishes his life!

Incredible wrath starts growing within him. He has to get out of here! Again Hoffman sets on his bulge and feels the floor -in totally darkness- for something hard, thin, sharp or copped; something he can pick the lock with, or at least something he can cut off his foot.

'This... Lawrence... what he did... this asshole threw the saw out of the bathroom! He isn't in any better than me! But my victims had a CHANCE to survive... Well, at least the most... Gordon is just like Amanda. Dumb, useless and extremely nerve-racking. If I get outa here... Oh, there will be a massacre, there will be blood... Got something!'

His fingers snatch the bone of the corpse, that carried the fetters before. Greedily his fingers clench the leg, monopolizes the corpse towards him. Dust raises. With routined movements he shakes it down. Nothing. Well, nothing useful.

"Fuck!", he swears, and pushes the dead away. And now? Of course he knows this bathroom. Every damned angle. He lived above it for months and wanted to know exactly which corpses are rotting in his basement.

Hectically he turns left, sits onto his knees. And now...? What should he do? He felt everything in his radius of achievement. Exept... the pan! Why came this idea so late to his mind? Fast he feels his way towards it, bows his torso into it, grabs after the syringe, Amanda left after she drugged Eric Matthews.

It lies in the centre.

'Something... Everything... Nothing...No...'

Well it was left there. Gordon took it.

The only thing he touches is the cold, dirty, slippery metal. Nothing but this. Again he slides back on the floor, jogs the trammel.

'Shit. What should I do? ', after a while he understands. His one and only chance is... breaking his foot link with his very own hands...

Quickly he pulls the right part of his Jeans up, lies the dorsum of foot on the corpse's leg and pushes his hand on the heel.

He takes a deep breath. Than a second. And a third.

Then... he leans on it with his whole weight. But he can't hear a snap. The pain is so huge... too huge. He stops. The Darkness starts vortexing around Mark . This pain... Panting he slides against the wall, "Gordon... -ha-... you... -ha-... are... -ha- ... so... -ha-... dead.", he closes his eyes. He can't die. Not here... Not now... Angelina...

Prompt the madness he killed Jill Tuck in, returns. He opens his eyes again.

Fixes his foot, pushes. With deafening scream, he lets his pain out, "!"

'This pain...

This pain...

This pain...

This pain...

This pain...

It shall sto-...

No...

In a little while the joint is broken...

Go on...

Go on...

Go on...

Go on...

Go on...

Go on...

Go o-'

snap

He stops. He made it! He is free soon...

Blood pulses that loud in his ears, he isn't able to hear anything. His heart dashes. There is a little smile on his lips. All the fear is gone, "Revenge is close. She'll be mine and served cold..."

Carefully he encloses his hinge with his right hand, wants to pull it out of the frammel with his left, but with the singelest touch the pain returns, he felt while he robbed the Bear Trap out of his face and while he broke his foot. Although he continues... But suddenly he gets dizzy. Mark falls on his belly. It feels like the bottom moves. He starts to lose consciousness...

There is suddenly a female, soft voice. It's his sisters. Angelinas, "Why don't you move? Stand up, fight! I thougt you would keep you promises. They made you to the monster, you are, but do you want to die right here? Right now? Do you want to throw in the towel? All this murders, just for your pleasure?"

"No...", he whines. Sure, no one is in this room and his sister is... dead... but... this seems to be so real... Tears are running down his cheek. She was his only family... and now... she says he became a monster? A murderer?

"Stop to negate it. You know it for ages: Amanda, Kerry, Perez, Erickson... at the latest when you killed your own workmates. If you die here... we'll never see us again. You'll be a member of the nether of the netherest ring of hell. Come on, get up! Change your life into something with sense. Keep your promises!"

"Ye... Sure..."

All of sudden it is silent again. This voice, Angelina, is gone.

Steps come closer to his prison. His chance! He can leave!

As fast as possible, he closes his eyes again, acts dead. In this moment someone opens the door and the bathroom is enlightened by a flashlight.

**Chapter 1**

Seeking the light of the flashlight shines the room after the new addition. In the rear, left corner hangs the light cone. There he lies, the murderer of many innocent policemen, FBI investigators and Jill Tuck, unconscious or dead, face down on the dirty tile floor. Mark Hoffman. Jigsaw's self-appointed heir.

Slowly the unknown person is approaching to him. Gordon, or one of the two latest victims can not be the unknown. The steps are not hard enough. Also true, the petite, slightly smaller figure does not match that of the other. His face is hooded by a hat and coat.

He bends down to Mark, feels his pulse and breathing. The second is rather weak, 'Shit.' Surprising the masked man climbs over him, a key obtained from his pocket and opens the lock on the ankle, then he goes back to Hoffman's head, grabs him under his arms and pulls the lifeless body into the middle of the room. He immediately take the necessary measures to first aid: Recovery position. Then he lit it again thoroughly. He has truly broken the ankle! Carefully scrutinizes the person it ... That must have been really painful. So much so that he was consciousness. He briefly turns back when he is suddenly flung on his back and puts it on something. The flashlight rolled from his hand, so that the whole scenario is illuminated from the side. Big hands close around his neck. He looks up. Frantically he is clutching the paws. It is Hoffman! He has just acted unconscious! The light from the lamp only makes him seem even more diabolical. Madness is reflected in his eyes again. Full evil are distorted his features.

This looks down on the person. For the first time he can see how he looks, because the hat is slid down. The unknown is not male but female. She is about nineteen years old, has chestnut-brown hair stepped through, full lips and bright, gray-blue eyes that stare at him in horror. He just pushes even harder, "A few last words?"

"Kill me ...", she gasps," But then you'll never come outa here ... "

"Why should I believe you?"

"Why I would have solved your ankle?"

"I'm free."

"But Gordon has taken precautions if you will, unexpectically, flee again."

He loosens his grip, but remains sitting on her.

"I'm here to help you, Mark. I know how we can get out of here ..."

"Why?"

"Let's say there is something personal between Gordon, John and me."

"John is dead"

"I know. The power broker is sitting on me."

He hesitates. 'How does she know that?'

"I know all about you. By Seth started, about your small little letter to Amanda, all until your 'revenge'."

Unsure he looks at the girl.

"Would you please walk me down? You're pretty heavy and we have very little time." She looks at her clock on the right wrist. The stopwatch is running backwards, "We still have about four minutes. Then we'll be discovered."

Suspicious, he leaves her. She immediately gets up, grabs his right arm, pulls him more bad than good, including high and supported him.

Together, they limp out of the room after the young woman closes the door, the corridor leading to the trap that claimed the life of Strahm, along and then, just before saving the stairs, left through a small secret door. The entire route takes a little. That door was never noticed by him. Even now it is hard to see exactly where the contours are.

Flink she solves the plate from its holder, helping the ex-cop into, and closes it behind him. It is dark.

"Do exactly what I tell you. This passage is perhaps a little tight for you. There are many turnoffs. Consequence of my hand and you'll get out of here."

A loud groan his hand is the answer.

"Then we can go on."

It took about five minutes until they reach the exit and the made ready car. The woman helps him in the inconspicuous black car, then rise itself. She moves off.

Silence.

After a while she breaks it, "It was so obvious that you will be locked up by Gordon somewhere, in the case of Jill's death. But you were surprised?"

"Who are you? Where are we going?" Mark changes the subject. Somehow he seems to know her. Although not in appearance, but her style, even as she speaks ...

"You can call me 'Mika'. We go to a safe hiding place."

"Mika?"

"By Michaela. Mika."

Suspicious, he examines them, "Why?"

"What?", She just looks at him. After she noticed his eyes she turns back to the road.

"Why are you helping? Don't you know what I've done with the police or Jill Tuck?"

"The cops, your colleagues, you have murdered in cold blood, and Jill was killed by AMANDA's Bear Trap. However, it was not a game anymore, it was murder. She had no chance to escape. Believe me, I am satisfied."

"Oh yeah?"

"I was there ... I've seen how you murdered all of them. Even Gibson."

"Then the question remains, why have you brought me out there."

"Let's put it this way: John was a good judge of men, he knew how he could manipulate people around him with little words."

"How did you get him?" All questions Hoffman seem pretty forced. Perhaps, because of the pain in his foot, or even because all information have be drawn from the nose of Mika.

"You'd have to even be able to answer." Again she throws a quick glance at him, "Listen, Hoffman. I brought outa there, because John said, you know something about my real father. But let's be honestly, I do not trust you: You're a murderer. There are no rules for you exactly as it was with Amanda, so I'll make you a proposition... You stay some time with me, so I get to know you better, I'll give you a new identity, and I will even doctor your foot. In return you will ask me no 'pushy' questions, wherever I go, what I do, who my family was or on other subjects on which I don't want to talk about. Of course a point of curiosity is allowed to you. Sometimes, I might even going to come with such a topic for you. Also you are not going to put myself, my methods or decisions in question. Furthermore, you can schedule games. I'm going to build and then run ... "

"And what if I do not agree on some criteria of your proposal?" He asks provocatively.

Mika briefly looks into the rearview mirror, then comes as no car in sight, suddenly hit the brakes. Both are pressed into the seats. Angrily, she looks at him now, "I can take you back again."

"I can kill you too."

"Then you will be taken. You just can get out of this city with my help. Let's all refrain from all that then get your code name by an anonymous tip to police. Even the new ones that I made for you."

He swallows. This is pure blackmail ... But what else is left to him? "Okay."

"Fine.", With a saccharine tone of voice, she drives on, "Then to a good cooperation."

**Chapter 2**

The bell rings. The students of East Senior High School flow in good spirits out of the building. School's out. At last!

So also Bishop, Korey, a seventeen year old young woman with brown, back long hair, which is kept by an Alice band out of her face. She wears, like all the girls at this school, a uniform consisting of a knee-length, black pleated skirt with white collar, black knee socks and a white blouse with Karvatte to which the school emblem was embroidered. Relieved she has shouldered her satchel. She is one of the last to leave the big, old-school complex. Full of enthusiasm, she runs down the stone steps and looks around. When she discovers a waving hand, she walks up to the slightly larger, blond man. They take a hug of friendship.

"Hey, Ryan, how are you? What are the games doing?" She asks. After the two have risen to the nearest car. It is a silver Jeep Grand Cherokee.

"We are in the final stage. Dr. Gordon would like you to look at it again. The springboard is the only thing that is not finished yet. The mechanism is not very mature yet and we still have to put the water with hydrochloric acid. ", replies Ryan, one of Jigsaw's earliest victims, while he towed the car from the parking space.

"Oh yes. If there are problems, ask the mechanic." Korey laughs, "But alas, Lawrence gets the idea and makes the pure HCl before the final test. I must make myself, if it works."

"No. Brad wanted to do it yesterday evening, after we have eliminated Hoffman, but Daniel has delayed him."

"You've Hoffman? So ... Jill ... is dead?", Her laugh is stuck in her throat. Instead, her voice sounds pressed. She liked John's (ex-) wife. She was so ... nice ... helpful ... in general. She was just great.

Sadly, he nods, "Reverse Bear Trap. She had no chance. He killed all the cops."

"I see. That was, what they ment in the radio. 'The worst massacre in the history of the local police'."

"Yes ... Rey, where were you actually last and second last night?"

"What?", confused she looks at him, with her unusual, bright blue-gray eyes.

"We had called you, but you were not reachable."

"I had the last two nights free. We have written Latin and medicine today. And in a small test in mechanics. Lawrence said, I could take time off. Let's all refrain from the fact that I can not come every night ... It doesn't work, if I would come every day ... If this was possible, I would be happy ..."

" ... well ... I think he wants to talk to yourself about the happenings...", He turns on the radio, signaling that the conversation is over.

The old swimming centre has been abandoned for decades. A perfect place to play a game à la jigsaw. This is the reason, why this place was taken in possession since the Public Execution trap -or how Brad and Ryan call it: 'Love Triangle Trap'- by Dr. Lawrence Gordon aka Jigsaw (no. 3) and his apprentices.

This is already waiting on the female newcomer who just enters in the sports pool hall. Gordon comes up to her, "Hello Rey. How are you? Was your recovering successful?"

She nods, "Yes." Then she looks around. Ten metres above her hangs a springboard. Next to them is the swimming pool. "Ryan has said that it isn't ready yet. Should I clamber up right now?"

"Would be helpful. Then I must tell you something." Retorts the oncologist.

"Okay. But you must tell me how broken joints have to be doctored. Morrison has a new mesh. First, we should despair of the problem, then he explains it to us in the Medic-hour." Annoyed she rolls her eyes.

"Of course."

Without another word she climbs up the ladder on the springboard, and starts to screw on it. Korey is a true natural talent. A true asset to his team. Lawrence is pride (at least a bit), as he watches how she welds the metal wall on the roles of the railing.

After a while she calls, "Larry, please press the button once."

He goes to the left. A large, red, metallic buzzer is mounted on the wall. He just wants to operate the mechanism.

"Stop! There is now power on it! You need a pair of rubber gloves." With a loud 'gossip' a pair of gloves land before his walking stick.

Short, the doctor looks at her. She has bowed her pursuit over the balustrade and watches him. Gordon turns away again, slips the dark blue rubber over his hands, "Can I?"

No answer.

Confused, he looks up at her. He can not see her. She's gone, "Korey?"

As a response he gets a loud 'splash' to hear. Frantically, he turns to the pelvis, can just make out how the lifeless body of the seventeen year old is engulfed by the water. He limps to the sidelines wants to jump in and help her, but someone runs past him, jumps with a plunge into the water. The young man grabs her under the arms and drags her upward, to the saving surface, to the saving oxygen. He manhandles her out of the pool. The wet body lies on the tile floor.

Gordon immediately takes the first aid. He controlles her breathing. It is weak, just like her heartbeat.

"Come on, Rey, wake up." He shakes her shoulder.

Nothing.

No reaction.

"Rey!"

As if on cue, she begins to cough. The oldest victim regains consciousness. Confused, she looks just Gordon, then the springboard, then at the young man beside her, "Again?"

"Yup." Admits the man of about eighteen years. He has dark blonde, curly (and wet) hair. It is Daniel Matthews.

She tries to bounce a little shaky, in vain. With an aching belly she sinks back again, "Ouch."

"What's going on?", worried the doctor bends above her.

She unbuttons her blouse to the first rib. The skin is rebbened and has participated colored blue around the numerous scars, "Apparently a belly splash of the finest kind .."

Gordon carefully considered the evidence of internal bleeding, "I can't tell you how bad it is ... But from this height ... you have to go to the hospital. We can not even make an accurate diagnosis here."

"How long?"

"It depends. Why?"

"I have school tomorrow. Our topic in psychology is Jigsaw. It should not stand out, that I'm missing."

Lawrence shakes his head uncomprehendingly. She is so focused on school and games ... Korey would also appear with a bullet in her lung to class. And here, too. There was a lengthy task, until he could convince her to take some free time. At least for one day, or two. Because of these attacks, she will never wants to miss a moment of test. She was even once before the camera. All the scars on her body are due to this, because she fainted during her test ...

"Come on is not that bad to be.", With a nod he shows Daniel to help. This immediately takes the youth on his arms, carries her to Lawrence's car, sets her into it. Gordon sits, as quickly as possible, down, behind the wheel and drives off.

**Chapter 3**

It is already evening when Mika returns, with her purchases, to her house. There are lights.

'So Hoffman's already awake ...'

He was imprisoned by Gordon for about a day, without taking water, without food, so he could, when he arrived at her's, take a shower and some food (and some sleep), though he didn't want to believe her, in terms of time. Down there, the clock is ticking ... probably different.

In a good mood she opens the back door that leads directly from the garage into the kitchen. She turns off the brown paper bag on the counter, looks around, "Hello. I'm Back."

No reaction.

So he's ... 'You're kidding me!'

Enraged, she goes into the adjoining living room. Also empty.

Suddenly, a faint rumble.

"Hello?"

She crosses the room, decorated in red peeks, into the corridor. A shadow!

As quietly as she can, she sneaks behind the shadowy figure in her parent's bedroom, where she has left behind Hoffman. Her heart starts to race. Anxiously she peers inside. 'This figure ... This is Mark. But ... Oh, fuck! '

He stands behind a middle-aged man and wants to kill him ...

Panic she rushes into the room, shoves the ex-Lieutenant in the walk-in closet, and closes it. She has done all of it without appreciable noise. The man hasn't noticed anything, "Chris?"

Startled, he turns around. His dark brown eyes, that contrast with his reddish hair, pattern, carefully, "Hey, Ka"

A little out of breath she sits down on the raked up bed. Her heart's still beating very fast. She is very nervous.

"I wanted to visit you. The light was burning, so I came in with the spare key. Where were you? I called."

"Shopping." She replies, as if shot from a pistol, "My supplies were, without I had noticed, almost vanished ... I was just a few minutes away and pretty much in a hurry, so I haven't turn off the lights. "

Full of understanding the detective nods. His suit is now on her first. He usually announces himself a day before, firstly, and secondly, he appears in civilian clothes.

"What's wrong?"

"I just wanted to talk."

"It goes back to Jigsaw, am I right? What's new? Why are you here?", Mika asks impatiently. She can formally feel the withering glances of Hoffman. She also fears that Chris could say something that might get the wrong cord.

"You have heard what has happened?" He asked. The detective sits beside her.

"However sad ...", she lowers her gaze," Any sign? Video recordings, hair, DNA? "

"Nothing like that. He has taken everything. He had to know the MPD."

"Maybe the one Gibson was chasing at the end?"

"Can this be that new Jigsaw? The follower of John Kramer? Can be possible. We have already considered ... But ... anyone who might know the name of the 'heir' is dead ... and the FBI they have also no information about the killer of the cooperating agents, or suspicions. We're in a dead end ... "

"And why are you telling me this?"

"It's about the most recent victim, Bobby Dagen. You've been to his group therapy, from the very beginning."

"I've heard of him, but I can't say why. Refrain from all time that I've never been through. ... I was always on the edge ... Only a few people know about my game ..."

"Has he been tested before? Or was this just show?"

"I can't say exactly ... the scars are real ... his view is consistent with that of the other victims ... But ... I donno ... I've never really believed in his story ... "

"Do you know any others from the group?"

"A few. Why?"

"Could you give me their names?"

"I don't understand ... What do you want to do with them?"

"I just want to ask whether they think Mr. Dagen has been a real victim."

"Well ... This remarkable man with a walking stick was the first ... But do not ask me his name ...", Mika shakes her head negatively. Of course she knows who this limping guy is. After all, they want to 'arrest' him. Confident she has put the track on Dr. Lawrence Gordon, 'cause they can find his whereabouts, without having too much alertness.

Chris Denbow gets up again, "Take care, Michaela."

"You too." Carefree she smiles back, "Tell me if you have a new track. I'd like to help."

"Because of your dad." He confirms, "See you soon, bye.", He leaves the house.

She looks a few seconds after him. He is really nice. Gullible, not to say naive, but from the heart he is brainless and exploitable as well. With him one could really say, 'birds of a feather flock together.' He was a good friend of Gibson. His manner is so similar.

A loud cough rips her thoughts back to reality. Finally, she has totally forgotten Hoffman. She walks to the door, opens it carefully, looks into it. Mark is leaning on a stick in front of her. He's angry. Seized by madness, he throws himself on her, pushes her throat piece by piece, "What was that, bitch? You Cut the cop extra on my track ?", he roars.

"T ... think a... bout ... our ... ag...ree ... ments," she gasps. She is a little dizzy.

"The contrary is void. You lead them to me! Preventing this is exactly what you wanted!"

"I named no names ... Lemme go ... otherwise Chris will know who killed me ..."

Pissed he leaves her, but remains -how at their first meeting- sitting on her chest, "Thanks." Mika is still calm.

"He knows that already. Gibson and he were friends."

"No. They've never talked about their cases. You think I'm that stupid and bring Chris on 'your trail', while I don't even know if they have talked about Jigsaw and Jill? Don't you even notice that you haven't, HAVEN'T really left a single evidence behind? Although you haven't even taken care of it? "

He hesitates. What she says is true. Although he had been wearing gloves, but not a hair net.

"I told you, I have satisfied myself, whether Jill had a chance. I was in the department, 'swiped' the video recordings and I also cleaned the body bag, which you have smuggled yourself in." She begins to cough, " Please go off me. Since yesterday my torso hurts. "

Annoyed, he comes after her request.

Literally it is easier just lie on the floor. Then she gets up to help him on the bed. Her view falls on the broken joint, "I'm going to doctor it." Disappears in the adjoining bathroom and reappears a few moments later, with plaster, bandages and ointment in a plastic bag. Immediately she brings Hoffman's foot -with a loud, painful moaning on his side- in position and begins to clean it first, then to wrap it in plaster.

"You were a victim?" He asks (to change the subject and to distract himself from pain) after a while.

"Yup." Her answer. Mika didn't really want to say it to him, but he is already loaded enough and who knows what else he would do to her.

"When?"

"I was the fifth."

"That was Amanda."

"No. She was the 'seventh'. My test was also connected with another person."

"How so?"

Sadly, she lets out from the foot, stands up and begins to look out the window. She does not answer.

"Why a cop?", His next question. This time, in his voice is the undercurrent of a threat.

"He's a good friend. He told me of the progress, from the very beginning. Therefore, John was always informed.", She Returns after sufficient reflection. But she does not turn. In the reflection she watches him.

"He knew everything by myself."

"No, not exactly ...", she shakes her head, laughing. It seems to her as if they are just watched by John, at this moment, "Numerous results he got from me. Also, that you're under suspicion."

"Only since Strahm."

"That's what you should believe. You've long been under suspicion. Riggs has noticed how you peculated a piece of evidence from the Classroom Trap."

"Sure ...", he returns sarcastically. He has a hundred percent sure that no one is watching him, as he took the ring.

"Believe me or not ...", she sighing turns again to Hoffman," I have many sources. Therefore, it won't bring you much if you kill Chris. "

"It's a whole branch."

"Previously there were three."

"What happened?"

"YOU !", like a push her peace is gone. Incredible anger takes over again, "You killed all of them. They were good people!"

"No evidence.", They have exchanged their roles.

"NO! YOU HAVE MALVERSATED ALL OF THEM! But listen carefully, Marky, YOU will play no more games, I'll run it."

"Why should I do that?"

"Because I will help you to meet Gordon! And because you've lost your privileges as a cop."

"Sure, that's not a personal vendetta?"

Shocked, she looks at him. Mark brings a black diary to light.

"H... how do you mean?", Suddenly, her voice shrill.

"Korey Bishop. To her I can still remember.", A triumphant smile adorns his lips, "She is very focused on the games. Could it be that you were tested again?"

Awkward silence, "She leads us to Gordon ...", then Mika turns to the door, "Think yourself a few traps. We're gonna start with the preparations tomorrow...", and she leaves the room.

**Chapter 4**

The room is empty. The atmosphere is terrifying. The light of a 50 watt light bulb, that hangs directly above the sole object in the room, flickers. There is a chair. Strange apparatuses are set up to it. In it sits a young woman. Unconscious. Her head is hanging limply on her chest. Her face is covered by smooth, brown hair. She is tied. The brand clothes are partially torn.

She slowly regains consciousness. Laggard she raises her head, looks around. This location is unknown to her. Frantically she tries to stand up, to loosen her bonds. After a few seconds her hands are free. Immediately tries the elaborate painted woman to get away from the chain around her waist area, in vain.

"Help! HELP MEEE! !"

In response there is a squeak. Hopefully she looks right to the source, but it's just a clown-like doll in a tuxedo on a red tricycle. It 'drives' to the brunette, until it is two feet next to her, "Hello, Becky. I want to play a game. How often have you discredited other people because of their looks? How often have you used your friends because of their money? And how often you have denied your sister just because she is interested in other than make-up and money? Because she watches horror movies and reads mangas? How many times have you blasphemed about her friends?

This will be over now. Do you see these devices around you? You have to put in your hands and press the ten buttons. Your fingernails will be pulled out, but on that way you can press your face on the pursuit, which will appear in your front then, so that the last mechanism, in which you'll put your tongue, appears. You have to do all of that without a single noise and within three minutes, otherwise the iron rod, to which you are bound, will drill bit by bit into your body until it reaches your heart.

Live or die... make your choice. "

As if on cue, a large blue timer, on the wall in front of her, starts to detrimental three minutes. Next to it a sound meter is placed.

The Rebeckas adrenaline rises. Even a greater fear is spreading in her: The fear of dying. The realization of the truth, that this doll has revealed, comes over her.

With all her strength she shakes the chain again. It does not give.

"Fuck!"

The level of the instrument rises to the red zone. With a quiet hiss, the metal rod 'shoots' through her pelvis. Tears of pain rise into her brown doe-like eyes. She wants to scream, but she can not, because that would increase the pain. Frantically she looks around for a different way to get out of this situation. But this does not exist. She has no other choice. With trembling hands she puts her fingers in the provided mechanism. She breathes in deeply. Then off again.

She expresses the ten buttons.

Something draws painfully her elaborately painted nails.

'God, let it stop ...

Please ...

It hurts ...

It hurts so much ... '

Becky begins to cry. But quietly. To quell the pain she bites her tongue. Suddenly, the push is complete.

Once again she looks up.

'**01 .46 **'

A grid of igneous rods folds in front of her face.

She shakes her head negatively. That would totally disfigure her beautiful face.

'In no case. Never ever...'

Again she looks at the clock.

'**00 .59** '

She takes all her courage, closes her eyes and presses her face against the second test.

'It burns ...

Stop it ...

Please ...

Please ...

Oh God ... '

A warm liquid is flowing down her face.

A low cry breaks from her, she pulls her head back.

With a 'whoosh', the iron is pressed further into her body.

She swallows. If she wants to survive, she must pull herself together ... With the last spark of courage, that is still in her, she pushes her head back to the Jigsaw trap. With another 'clack' the bars pull back again. Instead, something appears in front of her, which resembles a mixture of a mouse trap with the blade of a guillotine.

'**00 .12 **'

'Oh, shit.'

What choice does she have? As self-reliant as she can she puts her tongue on the trap, presses the tip on the little button.

'**00 .05** '

'Snip.'

She can not breath. Blood drips on her designer jeans. About half of her tongue is separated from her. The chain dissolves, falls clattering to the floor, like the rod, which is accompanied by the red body fluid.

As fast as she can she gets up, stumbles with a bloody mouth and trousers out of the room.

Rebecka has just survived the 'Silence Torture Trap' ... just so ...

**Chapter 5**

Humming Korey enters the area of the pool attendants of the disused indoor swimming pool and walks along the long, dreary, barren concrete corridor. Although her chest hurts -by the impact, three days ago- but she is so fit again that she can help Lawrence with the final work. Full of enthusiasm she opens the adjacent door to the dressing area to the former employees, in which they will watch the games of the new victims. The monitors are already available but not connected to the cameras. Of course ...

She sighs ... This was so clear ...

Without hesitation, she crawls under the tables, connects the cables. After a while she comes out from under the desks, starts the screens.

"Don't despair, ask Korey." Mutters she pleased. On the seven computer monitors the required records of the connected video cameras appear.

Supported with arms on the gray work area, she observes how her 'fellow pupils', the perform the last tests of the different traps, with dummies. She would like to continue her work on the 'Diving Board Trap', although it is actually finished, so much, but Lawrence has forbidden to continue with such a 'dangerous' work... because of her 'goddamned' seizures.

A little jealous, she watches how Daniel tries out with someone -he is outside of the visual field- one chemical. After the rubber doll has dissolved within a few seconds, they laugh and give a high five.

Smiling and shaking her head, she turns to the next screen. Brad and Ryan try her trap again. Brad -which is off the board- is pressed slowly, bit by bit to the edge of the board, until Ryan -whose is underneath- has mercy with his friend and presses the buzzer with a rubber glove. After about half a minute Brad can climb back down the ladder again, relieved. She just wants to look the other tests, but her thoughts are pulled back by an announcement. Lawrence's voice comes over the loudspeaker, "Coming right up into the interstitial space."

He sounded excited, anxious, fearful and angry.

Not a second later the doctor comes, limping, into the room. Confused, he looks at her, "You're fast. You're the last I'd have expected here ... You should still take time off."

"No ... not now. The game starts soon. I don't wanna miss the 'final sprint'." she retorts.

"That's the same you told me five days ago..."

"Then you should understand me"

He wants to answer, but just in that moment the other apprentices appear. Brad, Ryan, Daniel and, Korey begins to smile, Adam Stanheight, behind which the door shuts.

Fortunately, the cabin is relatively large community, otherwise it would be pretty tight.

Curious all look at Gordon.

"What's going on?", Asks the son of Eric Matthews.

"Have you read the newspaper?", The answer.

"No. Not yet."

"Did anyone of you built a trap, without telling me?"

Shake of the head of all.

"Why?" Korey is, just like the rest, confused.

For elucidation he pushes a newspaper article in her hand.

She throws a look at it, "What the-?", She looks at him uncertainly, "Larry?"

"Read aloud."

"'Jigsaw strikes again!

This time he played his so-called 'game' with a young law student who had to face his inhumane tests in order to survive. At first she had to tear out her fingernails, then she had to push her face against glowing rods to sever her tongue, in the end. She had to do all of this within three minutes and without a single sound, otherwise an iron rod wolud have drilled through her pelvis; through her entire body. She is the second victim this week.

After the death of John Kramer ...'", she stops.

"Do ya understand? We've a very big problem. You've to be twice as careful as you already were. We're dealing here with a murderer."

"He gave her a chance." Brad throws in between.

"You call that a chance?" Korey's voice is shrill, "That was unfair. She had to hurt herself -Ok BUT if there had been a single peep from her, she would've been impaled, so she would've cried louder. To abandon completely that there were actually three tests. "

"Calm down, Rey." Amicable comes Gordon's hand on her shoulder to rest, "I'd like to talk to you alone." With a nod he shows the others to toddle off, what they also do, after a few hesitant moments. Once again, the door closes behind Adam.

Shivering the teenager sits on the nearest chair.

"Korey, calm down."

"An idea who that was?"

He nods.

She understands immediately, "How? You said he was chained! Did another student help him?"

"I donno. ... So he has sawed off his foot and fled from the bathroom ... but don't ask me from where he got the saw ... I was sure I would've removed all ... "

"But how could he pass your look-outs?"

"He got help probably. I don't understand HOW he made it, but he's gone. I was just there to look up. Hoffman has disappeared. The only thing that testifies to the fact that there was a 'newcomer', is a bloody, severed foot, a bloody ankle and a smeared saw next to it. A trail leads from the bath, down the hall, but suddenly it stops. Someone helped him through an unknown, secret passage out of the house. " Now he sits also, to her opposite.

With glazed eyes she watches the floor, "I should've known ..."

"What?"

"Mika." She looks up again, "Michaela Connor. She had sworn me 'revenge', after I had tested her again. This explains my missing diary either ... Hoffman and she, they fit together well." Restless she stands up again, "I can't go home. She knows where I live! Hoffman will come, through me, to you."

"This isn't the reason why I wanted to talk to you ...", Gordon sighs," I had guessed it ... Please sit down ... "

Korey is coming to the request.

"The victim's name wasn't mentioned. But I know it. And you know her well ..."

"What?"

"... Her name is Rebecka... Rebecka Thomis."

"No." She shakes her head, crying, "Is Anika also ...?"

"She's safe. It's not like it'd be obvious if she's missing a couple of days at school ... and, you as her best friend, can say that she is sick ..."

Rey says nothing.

"Mika knows about your friendship."

"Certainly," the angry brunette jumps up again, "From her, I got THIS!", loaded she takes her long hair in her hand, picks them up a piece. There's a long scar extending from the spinous up behind her right ear.

"Korey, calm down. Think of your heart. We're going to get her. Hoffman as well."

She closes her eyes, breathes deeply in and out. Now she's back to rest herself, "I'll go get my things. When will the game start?"

"Tonight."

"Well then I must hasten with a rapid step ...", she leaves the room.

**Chapter 6**

Incredible angry Mika enters the office in the first floor of her house, slams the door after behind her. By the loud clanging Hoffman thoughts are torn from his plans. He looks up, "Where were you?"

In response she throws -very loaded- a newspaper in front of him, on the desk.

With a casual glance, he looks at the headline that reads, 'Jigsaw strikes again', then he looks back his roommate, although they see each other relatively rare. Michaela's face is reflected in aggression, hatred and -mostly- fear.

"So what?" Mark asks casually.

"SO WHAT?", she repeats shrilly," SO WHAT! THINK ABOUT OUR BARGAIN! "

"We want Gordon. And because YOU don't care about, and because you disappear that often, I had to take care of it."

"I care about nothing? Just because you don't see me at work, doesn't mean that I'm doing NOTHING!"

"I doubt that.", He gives back completely calm.

"Oh, you doubt this? Did your 'brilliant' mind ever thought that Gordon knows that you fled, because of this crap?"

"Then the fear still gnaws at him, before I kill him. This is great." Suddenly his expression changes. He looks diabolical. Just like on the night he killed Jill.

"Ha, if you still get him now! Gordon will prepare for your attack, now." She sighs, "The only positive is, that he thinks you've sawed off your foot ..."

"What? Why?"

"I've arranged this, in the time I've done 'nothing'. I've received a recently amputated food and your old blood preservations through a friend. Ya can imagine the leftovers, yes?"

Puzzled, he looks at her. This he would have expected at least. In the meantime, he began to suspect, that she is working with the lame, but now ... He really has to make an apologize ... someday, when he has his revenge ...

"And the rest of the day, I observe that bitch Korey. Apparently she knows about it ... or it was forbidden to help ..."

"What have occurred precisely between you two? I've never noticed that you insulted someone. John had counted this high on you.", At once he is calm and analyzing again.

Mika turns her back towards him. She swallows, "You were right... with the 'second test'... one time, we argued about the concept of a game ... which is why she put me into another trap ... I escaped ... and she turned violent ... she -probably- hasn't expected, that I would survive this...", she daffs her black Trenchcoat. Underneath she wears a black, top. A large scar extends from the left scapula to the elbow, "You could say she and Amanda have quite similar minds ... They both had an urge to violence ...", She turns back again. Tears are in her eyes, "She uses her syncopes from the fullest. The moment in which we had a fight she had simulated to have a fit. Immediately I wanted to help her ... but she has picked up a knife and rammed it into my shoulder ...", she closes her eyes briefly to regain her composure. She is a changed man, "That's the reason, why we've never been seen at the same time on the same place ... John wanted no quarrel ... He knew how she is up to ..."

"Then you can look twice."

"Why should I?"

"It refers to the 'Silence Torture Trap.'", He smiles with satisfaction.

"How so?"

"The victim's name was not mentioned, right?"

"Of course."

"Her name is Rebecca Thomis."

Incredulously she looks at him. But little by little her stunned mouth forms into a triumphant grin, "You're kidding me."

"Seriously. Of course I knew of her friends, because I 've read the diary."

"But the trap was unfair ..."

"Gordon too.", He replies after she has hardly spoken.

Silently, Mika relies on the second chair. In contrast to the one on which Hoffman is sitting, this chair consists only of a few boards nailed together, but it is comfortable. After all, her father built this chair ...

Silence from both sides.

She closes her eyes, enjoying the silence. After a while she starts to laugh.

"What's going on?" Hoffman clearly is annoyed because he has started facing his plans again, a few moments ago.

Mika looks at him, "Do you think John would've expected it?"

"What?"

"The whole situation. That I'd get you out of there, sure, but ... this impending confrontation with Gordon ... What are ya going to do?"

"This is a matter between him and me."

"Will he have a chance to win?"

Confused, he looks at her. Mark does not quite understand. Mika really asked him, if this 'son of a bitch' would have a chance to survive?

"You had one too?"

"And that was?", His tone is sarcastic, "Breaking the joint?"

"He could have simply strap yourself in a trap, from which there was no escape."

"Just as Jill has done it?"

"So in the article ..", she carefully scrutinizes his scar, which extends over entire the right cheek, "You're just hard to kill ..."

His look says everything. She instantly stops.

"Your test ..."

She looks at him quizzically.

"What was that?"

"I don't wanna talk about it."

"But I do." He glares at her menacingly. His gray-blue eyes are a little frightening.

"Okay ...", with a queasy feeling she gives in," I. .. I had to fight someone ... "

"And then ...?"

"... Uh ... this man ... I was abused and beaten often...by him ... he was a murderer, who was dismissed for a failure of proof ..."

"How did you win?"

"Just ... I had injured him seriously, but in between I got unconscious ... all the scars on my body come either from him or her ..."

She gets up, "So, let Gordon a chance, please. ... I'm watching Korey again... Byebye." She motions to him a little reluctant to say goodbye, "See ya probably tomorrow." and she disappears.

Hoffman still looks after her for a while. Why can't he remember her tests? Has John planned this game alone? This wouldn't be strange, because John only knows how many things he has withheld his apprentices ...

**Chapter 7**

There she lies, unconcious, Kathrin Scorpion, the boss of a huge orphanage. She wears a coat and skirt that has seen better days. Maybe it's just dirty because she lies on the dirty floor tiles. The same goes for their short, peroxide blond dyed hair.

Slowly she comes to again, looks around in panic. This place is not familiar to her. Shutoffs are set up around her, as in in the dressing rooms of swimming pools. Anxiously she straightens up, hammers with her fists against the walls, "Lemme outa here!"

No.

Neither edge the heavy wooden boards down, nor anyone rushes to her aid. Nevertheless she continues. Hope dies last, "Can't anyone hear me? Help, HELP! HELP MEEEEEE!"

Still no answer.

Crying, she proposes one final time against one of the walls. With a quiet clack it gives in and swings a little bit wide. Long for a heartbeat she hesitates. Then outweighs the curiosity and fear. She opens it completely, carefully. In her front stretches a row of lockers. One is open. A kind of Tablet PC or a small LCD TV's is in it. Kathrin goes toward it, examined it. The screen is black. The power is off.

Suddenly, the surface starts to shimmer. But only a few seconds. The picture clears up and the head of a white doll with a red bow tie turns to the camera, "Hi Kathrin.

I want to play a game. How many families destroyed your selfish deeds, and by your desire for money? How many newborn babies were snatched from their parents and you just told those in cold blood, they had died of a sudden infant death syndrome?

Tonight this will be over. You will undergo within two hours several tests, in which the falsity of your deeds in your own body, and on that of your supporting friends will get to feel the effects.

If you lose a game, then a part of your so-called 'son' will be torn of his body. If you can not get him to achieve within the time limit, highly concentrated hydrochloric acid will be poured over him. Then he will be taken away from you, as you snatched him from his biological parents.

Take the Clock next to this Tablet. The clock is ticking.

Live or die... make your choice...", All of a sudden this strange creature is gone. Instead a handsome young man, in the early twenties, appears. He is strapped backwards to a kind of cross. Seized with fear, he tries to solve from the iron shackles.

"Tobi !", she begins to cry. Sadly she drops to her knees, "No, no, no ... Please don't ... but this is just a bad dream ...", she closes her eyes and squeals desperately in her arm. Then she opens them again. Kathrin is still in this scary and sinister place ...

'How does he know...? Only my closest friends know about ... '

After a while she gets up, puts her glasses straight on her nose again. A bad mistake. Incredible pain comes over her. She gets dizzy. Again she falls to the ground. Only gradually her view clears again. With a moderately reflex she touches the sore spot and examines her fingers. The tips are bloody, "Shit!"

'This is serious psychopathic...'

Adrenaline is spreading. Taken by blind anger she lifts on the edge of the locker, grabs the watch and takes a look at it. '**1 .15 **'

"What the...?", she has sacrificed three quarters of an hour of her precious time for NOTHING?

As fast as she can she leaves the dressing rooms, runs by the shower cubicles. Until then, the path was clear. But now a staircase is leading up and another down.

Uncertain she looks back again. At the door through which she has just arrived, a riddle is written down. It's not really a riddle, but rather ... a Question?

'**Sometimes the easy way isn't always the right one, but hey, what the hell, as long as I get rich?**'

She swallows. No ...

A reminder of bygone days is in her. At that time she had a conversation with a man who has lost his son by a junkie... In this there was just this question. The man, John was his name, if she remembers right, apparently knew by the way, from where she gets her so-called 'orphans'. She had also made him an offer ... but he has refused angrily ...

Uncertain she looks at the dirty floor ... it's a little wet ... and something is written on the tiles 'But what if the light path leads in the wrong direction?'

She understands immediately. As fast as possible she runs up the stairs.

At the top the only way through is a door that once belonged to a solarium.

Carefully she opens it.

Glistening light beams towards her. Protectively she holds her hand in front of her face. Only gradually her eyes ease into it. She squints. Her breath halts.

In front of her is Edward Masion, the 'doctor of your' who brought the idea in the first place, taking away newborn babies from their parents, to let them adopt expensive.

"Ed, Ed, are you alright?" Worried she hurries to him. His wider, lower body is tied to a huge, slowly heating up radiator.

Kathrin tries to solve his iron shackles ... in vain, "Fuck!"

Insecure he raises his -in the relationship- little, pig-like head, "Kat, is that you?", His eyes are dry.

"Yes, yes, I'm here. I'm trying to help you."

"Because of you we are here! You BITCH! Because of you we're going to die !", he yells loaded.

Frantically she looks around for a key. No. Nothing. Just another tablet of a very expensive brand. '**Push**' is written with a Poste notes in the margin. Her hands are trembling. She does as instructed.

The creepy doll returns, "Hello Kathrin.

The man who lies before you is the reason why you were blinded by money. He is a doctor which told the future parents their child would not survive the birth. So you could take away their children, without them realizing it ...

To save him, you have to pay attention, now. Ready? "As if on cue, the X-ray image of a skull appears in the page profile in the image. At the point at which the left ear is, she recognizes a metallic key-shaped object. But this picture disappears after a few seconds. The doll is back, "I'm sure you will have many similarities with the famous painter Vincent Van Gogh.", it starts laughing, "but if you decide against, then your dear colleague will be -after sixty seconds- like a chicken thas was on the grill to long.

Life or die... make your choice." The screen flickers once and the video recording of Tobias appears.

As if on cue, the digital clock next to the tablet begins -in blue numbers- to count backwards from **01:00.**

**00:59**

**00:58**

**00:57**

**00:56**

**00:55**

"You BITCH DO SOMETHING!", cries her best friend cries with all his. But she does not listen.

She does not hear him.

Everything around her is blurry. The only thing she perceives is the the rising heat, her beating heart, and the fear, she will never see her son again.

Slowly, she walks up to a mirror that has been installed next to the headlights. Kathrin examined her scar.

'This is a real psycho ...!'

Trembling, she reaches for the adjacent scalpel, leads it behind her ear. The cold metal has a beneficial effect on their cut, but not for long.

Piece by piece, she increases the pressure.

Suddenly she gets dizzy. She falls on her knees again. Panting. Weeping. Gasping for her balance.

"NOW CUT OFF THE FUCKING EAR! I'M DIEING HERE!", Edward is audibly desperate. As loud as he can, he tries to drive his co-conspirator, but his voice is raspy. Only a croak.

Kathrin throws a glance at the clock again. It ticks on relentlessly.

**00:33**

**00:32**

With his last strength she struggles to her feet. Her adrenaline level rises more.

Frantically she reaches for the knife, begins to cut off the ear.

Pain tears rise in her eyes. Kathrin starts screaming.

'The pain ...

It should stop ...

Please, someone, help me ...

It should stop ...

Please ...

Please ...

...

No ...

For Tobi ...

Only a small piece ...

A little ...

More ...

More ...

More ...

I have it right ...

Only a small pie-'

Splat

The outer ear ends up on the floor. Followed by a fountain of blood and a small metallic object. Frantically, she throws herself on the key, but it always slips back from her bloody hands.

Kathrin looks at the clock again.

**00:02**

**00:01**

**00:00**

The game is over. She has lost. Quickly she crawls on her knees to Ed. He lies there... lifeless.

"I'm so sorry, Eddie. I didn't ... Forgive me ..." she screens him again. He is dead. Dried up. His back skin stuck to the headlight. She starts crying, "I'm so sorry ... So sorry ..."

But suddenly she think of something else. Someone else. Tobi! Shaking she straightens up, rushes to the tablet. Here is her son. Screaming. A guillotine has separated his right leg from the torso. It glows a little.

"No ... no ... no ...", once she drops to the floor," I'll make up for it ... Please forgive me ... I'm gonna get you outa here ...", more bad than good she gets up and walks out of the Tenning-Booth-Trap.

**Chapter 8**

Odium. Wrath. Ire.

These words could describe Mark Hoffman's current emotional state. Odium that Mika disappeared without concrete answers for an afternoon, evening and the beginning of the night -again-, although he has spoken to her mailbox, that she should show up immediately with some utensils he needs. Wrath on John, because he sits here at all in this mess, just because has taken 'measures', in case Jill dies. And ire at himself, because he is dependent on a small, nineteen year old, vengeful girl. Mika is nice and reliable on -her way-, but something is wrong with her ... She seems to be so ... He can not say ... unnatural, perhaps ...?

Sighing, he sits on the construction plans of Gordon's trap. It is diabolical. Without hope of escape. The doctor is going to die. Certainly. But before this relief, he will suffer. Pain will be no expression ... A mischievous grin spreads across his lips. Briefly he goes through every step of the trap.

Then he stands up, takes his crutches and drags himself into the kitchen -on the ground floor- to brew some more coffee. The stairs took time. But when he reached down and turned on the stove to boil the water in the pot -Mika just ownes solvable coffee- his natural curiosity of finding corpses in someone's basement outweighs. While the water is boiling, he goes down the hall to the -constantly- locked door. That is Mika's room, obviously. In rust-colored letters someone has written her name with his fingers. This door could have sprung from a horror movie, easily. The paint was too thin and ran the whole wooden board down, just like blood. Also, the letters are not regularly or written on the same height, but obliquely downward and getting smaller and smaller. Behind the 'A' a hand was pressed against the plate -with the same color- and has been pulled down.

Irritated, he shakes his head. So he would have not evaluated her. That ... macabre ... that does not fit her ... Anyway ... He rummages out of his trouser pocket -it is probably Mika's fathers- a skeleton key, cracks in seconds the lock with it. Effortlessly the door opens. Once again he looks over his shoulder. Nothing. Why should suddenly her father or her mother stand behind him? Although this seems to be Michaela's parents house, but her parents have not -more or less- since his five- (or four)-day stay, pop up a single time. It's all so much, that he sleeps in their bed.

Interested Mark enters. At first glance, this seems to be an ordinary, young room. But only at the first. To the left of the door stands a neatly made bed and a night table with quite a number of drugs -which are assembled in tins- on it. Pain relievers, blood thinners, heart pills, sleeping pills and headache tablets.

In addition, about two meters away, there is her closet, which is half blocked by a desk full of sketches. Sketches of various traps, as it turns out. But these ones he has never seen in his life. One, for example, looks like a deadly band, which is activated when one of the participants dies. On the opposite is a shelf on which a small TV, laptop -turned off, of course- and a miniature Billy the Puppet doll were assembled. A small window on the free side of the wall, illuminates the room. The white wallpaper started peeling. Her room is small.

Curious Hoffman goes to the closet. He knew that something is wrong with her. She has problems with drugs. But that still does not explain why she is missing constantly and responds nothing and no one ... or why her parents have not pop up until now...

Cautiously, he opens the closet door. Everything is normal ... apparently ... But he would not have been promoted to Detective Lieutenant if he would quit after the first look. Hoffman pushes away the clothes. A small box gets his whole attention. With greedy hands he takes and opens it. First, he receives numerous newspaper clippings. All are about Jigsaw and his so-called 'victims'. But underneath lies a photo. A pretty woman with curly, hip-length hair and green eyes sitting on a bar stool, with a cocktail in her right hand, perches beside a man in his late twenties, with dark, slightly longer hair, full, smiling lips and bright light-blue eyes. This photograph... it looks so familiar ... too familiar ... With trembling hands he turns it around. On the back something is written on it: 'Mark Hoffman and Me on Angelina Acombs birthday party.'

Shocked, he sits on Mika's bed. This evening comes back to his mind. The loud music ... Angelina's gifts ... The drinks ... It was a wonderful night about eighteen years ago. The only thing he can not remember, is the name of this beautiful woman ...

At that time he sat as the only man -apart from Seth Baxter- on a stool at the bar and approved his second whiskey. After Angelina had received her guests, she came to him with this woman in tow.

'Mark,' she had said, 'that's the friend I absolutely wanted to present to you. She is medical examiner. I believe you two would fit together pretty much. ', With a smile his only family, his beloved sister, disappeared again. Once again she tried to marry off him with someone. But this time it seemed to work. The two understood very good.

'So, you're with the MPD?' She had started after she had ordered a beer.

'Yes. For almost two years. Why? ', He was in good spirits, even a little tipsy.

'Because I also work there. Angi has already mentioned my profession. '

'I'd have noticed you. I've never seen a FEMALE coroner in our morgue. '

'I work more in the ... Let's call it background. The cops here are so sexist, so I was advised that I should rather work in the background. With the bodies, the police prefers not to watch. Decomposed at the extra nice trimmed. Like, for example, the victims of the Piece-Killer. I think this killer eats his victims, or gives them other people to eat.' She began to laugh as her eyes fell on his bewildered face. He has never seen such a woman before. A woman who was not afraid to get dirty hands. Such a pretty woman who knew even a bit of criminology.

'Y ... you autopsy the bodies of the Piece-Killer?'

'Sure.'

'I. .. I'm one of the investigators of this case.' This thing with cannibalism was a non-published information.

'I know. Angi has given me a lot about you. She's always making her brother palatable to us. She really loves you ... and is worried -if she marries Seth-, what happens to you then. Why do you think she would constantly introduces some of her friends to you? ' She drank a few sips.

So was he. He felt hot, suddenly. Therefore, he loosened his tie and of his suit. He came right after his shift at the bar. It is the regular bar of his sister -later on his too-.

So their conversation continued. They talked about their jobs, colleagues, policy, common interests, murderers, family wishes -he always wanted to have one- and, of course, Angelina. The evening was wonderful. They got along just from the beginning and ... after the party they went to his house. That night he will never forget in his life ... full of passion ...

But then he never saw her again. She wanted to sign up, but he still would wait for her call, if he would be still 'interested' in her ... After about two weeks he wanted to visit her in forensic medicine, but she had quit suddenly ... Since he had never seen such a wife again ... But he had other concerna, three months later-one-and-a-half months after Angelinas wedding-. She was killed. By Seth, his brother-in-law. Revenge has changed him.

This pretty woman would not know him anymore. That nice man from that time ceased to exist long ago. He died with his sister.

A bit dejected, he gets up, puts the box back into place, and leaves Mika's room. His coffee and -especially-Gordon's trap are waiting ...

**Chapter 9**

Frightened and in great pain Kathrin continues. She still can not fully realize what is going on here. Ed died, Tobi has lost one leg and might emulate Edward. All because of her. Kathrin would prefer to sit on the floor, close her eyes, ears and would not responding to anything or anyone ... But ... this is out of a question. She must save her son. The only person for whom she would throw everything ... Therefore, she must continue ...

A little disoriented, she looks around. She is in a long, barren hallway. A pungent smell climbs up her nose... It smells like ... Hydrogen chloride ...? Confused, she follows the scent. It get stronger, as closer she comes to the end of the hallway. A large fire door announces the next game.

'**Are you willing to continue to see the truth in the eye?**'

She hesitates briefly, looks in her head for another possibility, but there is none. She MUST go through this, if she wants to save Tobi ...

Once again, the test subject is looking at her watch. About an hour left ...

She takes one last breath before -albeit reluctantly- she pushes the door open.

The smell takes her breath away. A wave of smell that spills over her. The whole, huge room is involved by this smell. Trembling, she looks around. Before her lies a sports pool, filled with water. To her right is the exit, but this is closed. And to her left, there is ... a diving board? Puzzled, she looks up. It is about ten meters tall, rusty and ... someone is on it!

"Hello?" She cries in despair.

"Kat?" Replies a one-too-familiar male voice. It is Andrew Horting, her best friend she has known since their kindergarten days. Not a second later, his upper body leans over the parapet. His shoulder-length black hair is greasy, his clothes torn. Panicked his dark brown eyes look at her.

"I'm here, I'm gonna help you to come down ...", her gaze falls on the head," Why do not you climb down there? "

"Oh, I haven't got this damned idea yet!", he scolds aggressive, "But unfortunately there's a metal wall in the way."

"Or jump into the water ...?"

"If this only was water, you light! This is HCl, hydrochloric acid! That would kill me! Why are we even here?" His eyes fell on her left ear. He understood immediately, "Because of YOU and your stupid idea we're all gonna die! Do something, find a way to bring me down here. Alive please!"

Frantically, she looks around. His anger is understandable. Eddie had the idea, but she had turned this into a real plan ...

She notices a red buzzer, directly under the tower, and next to it, there is... one of these tablets again!

"Come on !", sounds from above.

Nothing good knowing she presses on the screen. Since this doll is back, "Hello Kathrin.

Above you is -as you've probably already noticed- your best friend, Andrew Horting, the undertaker of the hospital, from where you get the children. He prepared for the children's funerals their empty coffins, so that no suspicion arises.

But after a while he felt guilty and wanted to quit. You forced -blinded by your addiction to money- and urged him to go so bit by bit to his abyss.

Today, you can save him from this:

In exactly sixty seconds, a metal wall will push him to the edge of the diving board, into the pool with highly concentrated hydrochloric acid. Before he can swim out of there, he will be dead.

The only way to preserve his life is to press the red buzzer for thirty seconds. Of course it will be associated with pain.

Live or death... make your choice. "As the times before, this creepy creature disappears and Tobi reappears. His bleeding has stopped. But he suffers." Tobi ...", she murmurs softly, stroking her fingers over the image his head. This is the reason, why she does not notice how the blue timer starts counting down from **01:00**, again.

Slowly, the wall begins to move.

"Come on !", Andy screams in fear.

All of a sudden she is torn from her thoughts. Examines briefly the large button.

**00:48**

**00:47**

**00:46**

With closed eyes, she presses it.

**00:01**

**00:02**

Suddenly it feels as if a hard object beats her arm. Instinctively, she rips off her right hand automatically.

For two seconds, the wall has ceased to move, but now it continues. The red digital clock next to the blue has stopped counting, again.

"It worked! Keep up !", a small glimmer of hope is in his voice.

Kathrin anxious breathes in. Then off again.

'For my friends.'

She continues. The panel holds again.

"This pain ... '

It is spreading through her body. It feels as if she would be beaten up by arm-to-toe.

'Ow ...

No ...

Please ... '

With tearful eyes, she looks up at the clock.

**00:30** shows the blue.

**00:12**, the red one.

'The pain ...

Inhuman ...

I. .. I can not t...ake it any m... ore ...

N. .. o. .. o. .. o. .. '

She can back off of it. Her whole body hurts. All. Even her nails. Of course, the wall continues. But this time it moves faster to the board edge.

"Come on," he leans over the railing again.

Every second feels like an hour.

Kathrin shakes her head. Her eyes fall on her right hand. It is burned. As if she had taken it on a hot stove. Something like that will also feel at their feet. A bit numb, throbbing, and above all ... painful ...

She wants to quit ... but they can not ... they must do more ... for Andy ... Tobi ...

She carefully puts her hand on the hot metal.

**00:23** the red clock continues.

The other is stopped at **00:18**.

Again she suppressed. Your heart starts to race. The pain is indescribable ...

'This is inhumane ...

Please God ...

Help me ...

Save me ...

Save Andy ...

Please ...

Let's stop this pain ...

It hurts so much ...

It hurts ...

so much ...

Inhuman ... '

She can not. One last time she takes her hand off the buzzer.

She looks up at the clock.

Blue: **00:02**

Red: **00:29**

But at this moment those few seconds pass so quickly. She could not endure this current again. Not again. No ...

**00:00**

She turns to her friend. Just at this moment her best friend falls from the board. His cry is so scary. She will never forget. In the acid. It immediately turns red. His body writhes in it for a few seconds while it dissolves, but then he lies motionless.

Kathrin averts her gaze. She's so sorry ... But she could not. She turns back to the tablet. Another glowing guillotine cuts off his left arm. He screams in pain, with his mouth wide open. He starts losing his faint ... As she ...

She turns the diving-board trap to the back and leaves the sports pool hall through the door that has been released at the expiry of the timer.

**Chapter 10**

Like in a movie theater the apprentices of Dr. Lawrence Gordon -and his self- have assembled around the television and are banned watching the games of Kathrin Scorpion. She has lost two out of five games, already.

But the doctor and Korey do not seem to be focused. Lawrence looks impatiently at his watch on his left wrist, while the youth musters all her comrades.

After a while he notices her anger, "What's the matter, Rey? You seem so worried."

"Is this a miracle?", she replies, "There is a killer on my best friends and on my track. WITH Hoffman in tow. I'm afraid ..."

"You don't need to be scared. I 'll govern it."

"Afraid for you, Larry!"

"Nothing will happen to me." Reassuring, he puts his hand on her shoulder, "Before Hoffman recognizes he won't be our problem, anymore. And you don't have to worry about Mika. Alone, she won't do something to you."

"It's not ... I'm worried about you ...Larry ... you want to kill Hoffman ...John wouldn't have wanted this ...", sad she gets up from her chair and leaves the control room. She goes to the team showers, turns on the water and goes underneath. Sometimes she just needs to cool down. Then something like this is just the thing she needs. Whether she is wearing clothes, or not. Mainly wet and cool. So she always gets her head free. She is not worried about Mika... well, not directly ... because she respected John ... actually everyone ... except for Amanda. Therefore, the two were always in the hair.

A slight smile crosses her lips. If John was going to see this whole situation ... if he could see them ... He knew what to do with Hoffman, if he escapes from Jills Reverse Bear Trap. Therefore, he has probably told Mika that she should free him ... only by what means? How could he convince her?

Thoughtfully, she turned off the tap again. She is completely soaked by the wet. She just wants to leave the shower area again, when she suddenly gets dizzy. Her environment loses its sharpness until it dissolves into infinite black ...

Unconscious, she breaks down ...

Back in the control room.

Meanwhile, the remaining comrades have taken note of Koreys absence. Worried all are peeping towards the door, every few seconds. No. She is gone for ten minutes and still has not returned ...

"Should I go look for her?" Daniel asks for a while, as he gets up from the folding chair.

But at this moment the missing is in the door again. Wet. A little through the wind. Just like, she has not gone away, she sits back on her chair. She feels the questioning looks, but she does not respond. Stubbornly she observes, as Kathrin wanders through the corridors. Rather, it looks as if she would follow her on the monitors. In reality, she is frightened. Her seizures become more frequent. That was the third in the last five days. She does not know how long she can still pass through. Above all, she has bilked her work-on -the left- hand the night before. Perhaps even sprained. But she can not let aggregate the hand. Then she would not be allowed -from Gordon's side- to play more games ...

A door slam brings her thoughts back to reality. Surprised, she looks around to see who is missing. It is Lawrence.

Still the apprentices do not let her out of their eyes. Slightly embarrassed she clears her throat. If the do not want to follow the game, they can answer her some questions.

She looks at them, one after the other. Started with Daniel, which is sitting next to her, than the pal Brad and Ryan, to Adam. Her view comes to rest, "Tell me ... why are you helping? What were your motives to join?", This topic has occupied her for a long time, but they never had the time to talk about it.

No answer.

"Dan ... why? Your father died because of a game ..."

At first he hesitates a little, "Well ... John made a bid, after I left my mom. He said that he could reveal the reasons, why I was sent throgh this helll ... why my dad has lost ... And ... to be honest ... I killed Xavier... "

"I know."

"And ... he hasn't appreciated the life others ... Somehow ... you can not call it 'enjoyed' ... but ... I liked it ... I joined you four weeks before Johns death...", a beam in his eyes. Such can only be seen when you really appreciate life.

She nods sympathetically, then looks at the two newcomers.

"Dr. Gordon had shown us the truth. 'Brother before bitch.'" Replies Ryan. Brad nods approvingly.

Everyone looks at Adam, questioningly.

Korey puts her head to one side, do dogs do sometimes, "You're the biggest mystery to me. How did ya get outa the bathroom? Amanda said that she had killed you. How could ya survive that?"

The photographer smiles, "She had slipped a plastic bag over my head and wanted to strangle me ... she almost made it ... but only almost. Just before I would have suffocated, she thought I was dead and left. Only Moments later John came and made me an offer: I could shoot the stalker photos -he needed a man for the job- I had a choice:... complying or die. And I've learned to appreciate my life, so ... so ... so I came to ... "

"B. .. but your body...?", asks Daniel, irritated.

"Noticed that Detective Tapps body is never shown up?"

Nodding in agreement.

"He was killed by a shot in the stomach. The corpse in the bathroom has the bullet hole at the wrong place. Larry had hit me on the shoulder. Let's refrain that even the chain is at the wrong ankle ...", then moves his gaze to Korey. Just like the others.

"And you?" Brad raises an eyebrow.

Ashamed, she looks to the ground, "I. .. I had to kill my tyrannical father. He had injured me seriously during the fight, because I had another seizure. I layed there on the factory floor, bleeding heavily, injured in a vein. . John has found me and healed me... then he presented a choice: continue to live my worthless life without hope that someone understands my message ... or to do a different way to teach people the value of life ... "

Silence.

"So... our last 'secrets' are revealed." Laughs Daniel.

**Chapter 11**

Fervent tears and self-reproach complicate the way Kathrin's. Her son will live as a cripple ... Because of her! IF he is will survive this night. Exactly this idea comes now to her mind. But after a while she shakes her head.

'I'll accoblish it! Tobi, I'll get ya outa here! I'll win the other games! '

But she does not really believe in their thoughts. Crying, she leans against the wall and slides down with her back.

'How does this guy know about my orphans?'

As always, if she is complexed, she puts her hands into her coat pocket. There she feels something hard. Confused, she pulls it out. There is a small photo album. It takes her breath away. All the children she has ever conciliated, their adoptive AND their biological parents are shown therein. On the back there is written -in red letters- 'The drug-parents childres were probably not enough.' A small photo slides on the floor. It shows a blonde, overjoyed woman -Kathrin knows just too well- Jill Tuck, next to a happy-looking man with white-blonde hair, who has placed his left arm around her. In the background '**Cherish your life**' is written on the wall.

'This is Jill's ex-husband !', comes to her mind, 'He's the one who knew -somehow- about my methods ... John Kramer ... Oh God', now she realized what really is happening here. Jigsaw! He said to his heir, that she should be 'tested'. Crying, she closes her eyes. Then, at her beginning, she went to this clinic, regularly. She was even a good friend of Jill. That was always the pretext for her visit. ... But Jill knew nothing about her real goal. Kathrin has always been looking out for junkies who were pregnant, or would do anything for a little drug. If she had found what she was looking for, she made them - with malice and intrigue- to get pregnant, or to 'sell' the unborn child. Dozens of children she had already acquired on this way, but John saw through her game. Back when she visited Jill in the hospital and made John this offer, he spoke directly to her, "You know that this's wrong? You take away their children to sell them! Have you ever thought about the biological parents? How they feel? "

"Of course. The most don't even want one of these children. They are accidents, of which they want to ditch anyway. Why shouldn't I make a lucrative business from this?"

"But these people buy their children just because they are in need. You make them an offer to give them heroin or coke -in a drug clinic-, if you get their kid ... This is inhumane and distasteful.'

"But that's the easy way to get rich.", she folds her arms in front of her chest.

"But the wrong one."John seemed to be calm -on the outside-, but in the inside he was boiling with rage.

"Sometimes the easy way isn't always the right one, but hey, what the hell, as long as I get rich?", The sentence that was written on the door.

"I know that you also sell other children. Children of normal couples!"

"Prove it, John. I had meant well, when I offered you a child ... but fine if you want to die without an epigone ... Okay ... Is not my problem ... "

Furious, he went back into the hospital room of his wife.

Affected Kathrin shakes now, years later, her head. John's child was taken, just like hers now ... He might have planned it well just from the beginning. Even now, after his death ... and that of his wife. She can understand why he reacted like that. Some hours after had he lost Gideon, she came with the offer to give Jill a cocko egg. Just as she did it to herself after her husband and her child were killed by an insane man ... She will never forget his face: dark eyes, dark, short hair, a diabolical expression on his face when he killed her loved ones, in front of her eyes. This caused gap was unbearable. The parents who believe their newborn children for dead, must feel the same way ...

When she comes out here ... then she will sort everything out. She will stop. Certainly. She will begin with an honest work ... And mainly go to group therapy ... Perhaps she will find help there ...

She starts crying again. She does exactly the opposite of Jill's clinic motto. Although she appreciates her life, but not the others ... She contemptuous it... more or less.. But ... not longer now ... John's idea was not that bad ...

But now they must continue to rescue Tobi ...To make everything good again ...

Groaning, she gets up again. She feels dizzy. Because of the high blood loss ... and the burnt hand and foot ... Though she continues to lurch. A tiled hallway. It always seems to get longer. But no matter, she has to reach the door ...

For Tobias' sake.

For her friends' sake.

And also for her sake...

**Chapter 12**

With a loud bang the door falls back into the lock. Startled Daniel, Brad, Ryan, Adam, and also to Korey turn around to take a look who entered. It is Gordon, which limps -a little bit charged or nervous- back to his place.

"Larry, what's going on?" Asks the one -and only- girl intimidated. His hands are covered with blood.

No response, at first. For about half a minute. But then he responses, "Tobias' limbs haven't stopped bleeding. The guillotines don't glow enough. They don't burn the artery, so that he still loses a lot of blood. He would've bled to death in the next half hour, if I wouldn't have disconnect the arteries."

"How so?" She is -obviously- confused.

"We haven't considered, the space which lies between the ceiling and the 'target'. It's about five meters. It cools the blades -during this time- again." He explains.

"Oh ... Then I'll clamp off the veins from this game."

"You?" He asks. The tone sounds simultaneously surprised and sarcastic.

"Yes, me. Larry, if Tobias is still conscious, and -even if you're wearing the pig mask- takes a look at you, and survives the games of his mother, he'll tell the police that a man with a pig mask and cane has 'saves' him.", she returns ," Your disability is very striking. Therefore, I'll do that. I have no physical signs of distress. At least not in my Jigsaw clothes. My black wool coat hides the scars ... "

"But not your syncopes. What if you're fainting, suddenly? This is also a very distinctive character, in your hand.", A look in his eyes shows that he knows something that Korey wants to hide.

"What do ya mean?", Her heart starts racing. She gets dizzy again, but does not show it. Fear is spreading in her. Fear, Gordon is suspicious of the accumulation of her so-called seizures.

"You've been in the team showers, right?"

"Why'ld I be so wet?"

"Then tell me, please, from where the bloody ground comes from."

"What?" She is confused, "What bloody ground. There's none."

"There was indeed one. Just in front of the door. You nearly fall into the puddle. Something has fallen to a few tiles, they are shattered and the shards around is a huge pool of blood. But when I had cleaned my hands and prothesisthis this morning in the shower, there was nothing like that. The ground was completely intact. "

"Then maybe a bucket of pig's blood -or anything like that- had fallen on the floor." Korey's environment is blurred again, blurs into a vortex. And she gets hot and cold, in exchange.

"Yes ... just pig blood isn't that thin." Lawrence scrutinizes her suspiciously with his navy blue eyes. He suspects something.

"What do ya mean?"

"I've never seen a pig which blood is so thin. And the only person I know, which has to take the blood thinner on the advice of her doctor, is you. Don't forget. I AM your doctor."

Ashamed, she averts her gaze.

"They are piling up, right?"

A hesitant nod.

"Why did you say anything?"

"B. .. because I was afraid that I wasn't allowed to continue with you. Larry, these games are the only way I can show the world how beautiful life is. No one takes my opinion seriously in school. They think I am still suffering under my game. ... And besides ... I'm worried about you ... "

"What do you mean? You refer back to the thing with Hoffman?"

"Yes ... John knew you will leave Hoffman without a proper 'chance' in the bathroom, in the case Jill dies. That's the reason, why he had ordered Mika to save him. How do ya think he'ld escape otherwise? Sawed off with one foot! From where did he get the saw? She must have brought it!"

"Why are you so sure that John has asked her, what would have been his argument?"

"Perhaps John said, Hoffman knew anything about her parents. She's an illegitimate child. She could have been told, that he knows something about her mother ..."

"She wouldn't jump on something. Korey, if you weren't there, I had worked with her. She didn't seem to depend on her family. In general, she seemed even calmer than you. John thought pretty highly of her. Although she was sometimes a little angry ... but she always made her work conscientious. No matter what happened. "

Angrily, she jumps up, "Mika is a little bitch, you know, with the knowledge how she has to act like! That's the reason she seems like that, what you think she is! But she's different! I know it best! My apartment's under her surveillance for days, because she thinks I'll lead her to you! She's just like Hoffman! That's why I'm afraid. ... You -and he- are planning both their games for the other! If you don't stop immediately planning an unfair game, you BOTH will die! "

"I won't die." Gives Gordon back, totally calm, "I know where Hoffman is. He doesn't, however, know my whereabouts. Korey, I see only one problem: If Kathrin wins these games she'll lead the police here. Then they put the whole swimming pool on the head. Therefore, they'll also find a trail of your blood, if you don't stop immediately. This one in the bathroom, I removed it with acid, but it's only a matter of time, until they find one. "

"I'll do so long, until either I die or get caught. I don't stop. And the police won't suspect me, because I am a 'poor, helpless, little, psychologically unstable victim'."

"Mika has contacts to the police. She can lead 'em to you."

"With which pretext? Then she has to admit, that she joined John."

Silence. The doctor does not answer.

"Larry ... Please ... I beg you ... Stop ... We'll find another way ... This isn't a solution ... You two will kill each other ... This isn't you ...", Tears run down her cheeks. She is really worried about her 'father substitute' or 'master', "You are NOT a murderer. Not even when the lives of your family is at stake. You couldn't shoot Adam. You value the lives of everyone."

"This situation is different." He is reloaded. Both he, and she, have forgotten that the other apprentices are still in the room. None of those even dares to move a millimeter.

"So your family isn't worth that much to you as your own life? " Korey starts to scream. She is beside herself, "Then I'm not wondering any longer, why Alison has left you with Diana! If you take MORE care on your OWN skin, than for your wife's and child's! You haven't succeeded killing Adam, what John's condition was, but now you want to kill Hoffman? " she closes her eyes briefly. Her eyeliner smeared by the tears of rage. She breathes in deeply. Then again, "John has been wrong about you ..."

"How do you know something like that feels? If your loved ones are in danger, you can't save them, but when you come back home, you live together with another partner? And then, after all what you've made for him, he leaves you? You don't know these feelings. You don't even know the word 'love'. You had to kill your father and you never had a friend. John knew it will come to that. He would've wanted you to help me. "

"That I'll help YOU? Then I'm also a murderer!", Denying she shakes her head, "I'm sorry. I can't help you. John thought murderers are distasteful. John was my one and only master." Without leaving another word she leaves the room, followed by a slamming door.

**Chapter 13**

Finally, after a perceived eternity, Kathrin has reached the continuative door. She is running out of time ... she still has about thirty-five minutes to save her son and only this 'psycho Jigsaw' knows how many games she must still exist. Well ... more or less exist ... she has actually won even none at all. With her trembling left hand she presses against the cold metal. It calms her down ... some way. With one last hope of scooping ends breath she encounters them. To her left lies a black hole, which apparently leads into a tube top. It is probably a chute.

On the right is a steaming radiator.

In the middle, a staircase leads upstairs. Before there is the table with the tablet again. But this time she does not go to it immediately. First she wants to know who it is this time, "Hello ?", her voice trembles just like the rest of her body.

No answer.

For the time being.

"Yes? Is that you Kat?" returns a female voice. Kathrin immediately orders it to Susan Morrigs.

"Yes, it's me!"

"Thank God you're here! Gemme outa here!"

"Do you know how you were brought here?" Her heart misgives her. If her streak of bad luck continues, then this will be the last words, they will ever change.

"No. And you?"

"No ... Do you know where we are?"

"In a dark, wet hole that goes downhill. As in a slide at a water park or swimming pool."

"Well... this is a Jigsaw trap, Sue ..."

"WHAT ?", her frightened echo resounds in the tube a few times.

"Do ya really have no idea how you came here ?... Or what was the last thing you saw?" , perhaps, when Kathrin, she comes out here, -IF she comes out here- she can identify the perpetrators because of Sues declaration.

"Before I passed out, I can remind, that I've put Corbett to bed and then I went to my room ..."

Kat smiles sadly. She knows the little Corbett. Her mother and father were killed by John Kramer. Sue is the half sister of Lynn Denlon. At that time she wanted to stop her continuing to kidnap babies, but she -Kathrin- could not be dissuaded. Sue knew that they would be tested -sooner or later-, but after a few months, she had simply stopped playing with this idea.

"That's it?"

"Yes ... NO! I went to my laptop and I suddenly heard a rumble. Curious, I went into my bathroom, but there was nothing. Confused, I went back again but suddenly two hands packed me from behind, and a person with a pig mask rammed a syringe with some narcotic in my neck. From panic seized I pushed the person behind me away and she fell to the ground. But I could not stand on my legs any longer and fell on my bed. The last thing I can remember, is that the guy with the syringe ran panicked to the other and tried to shake her awake, and withdrew thei two masks. He was blond, she brunette. But I can't say more, because then everything went black ... Kat, Help me outa here! I can't leave Corb on her own! After all, what happened to her parents ... Please, help meeeeee!", the desperation in Susans voice grows. She also also would leave a child. Like Kat, if she is not able to survive these games ... The only difference is that Corbett is a few years younger than Tobias and she has already lost her parents in this way.

"I'll get ya out there, Sue. I promise." The blonde starts crying again. Not because of sadness, but rather because of th fear, that she can not release her best friend, and despair.

"Please ... I'm begging you ...", she has not noticed the sobs.

With a reluctant nod Kat goes to the table, touches -like in the games before- the screen. But it remains black. "What the-?"

But in response the doll comes down a small slide, which is attached to the stair railing -which the glasses wearer had noticed just in this moment-. On the first stage this creature remains seating. It probably had lasted an eternity, until it stayed on the wanted place. With a mischievous grin, it looks up to her, "Hello Kathrin,

Your best friend Susan Morrigs sits on the third floor in a 'Chute of Death'. She tried, after the death of her half-sister, to dissuade you continuing your illegal acts, because she feared she would also be a test object.

But you did not listen to her. This lead her further and further down in her internal dispute between right and wrong. Before Lynn's death, there was nothing to her, abducting the newborn from the hospital, if she only was payed with enough money, but Corbett has developed something of maternal feelings. To your anger.

Today it is up to you to bring her out of this dilemma: You have 60 seconds to take the key that has been mounted behind the radiator, and to put him in the control desk at the entrance of the chute. But the conquest of the key has its price ...

Within this limit, your friend is pushed further and further towards the end of the chute. There, sharp metal tubes are waiting to impale her." Reinforceing this statement blood flows down the dolls chute," Live or death ... Make your choice. "

All of a sudden a mechanical voice -which probably comes from the puppet- starts to count backwards

"**60,**

**59,**

**58,**

**57 ...** "

Kathrin hectically trips to the heating, peering through a hand-wide gap. There it is. Susan's rescue. With determination she puts her left arm through. Between the steaming tubes and her limb are only a few millimeters. She closes her hand.

'So far so good ...'

And pulls it. But she can not break it away from the fishing line.

"Shit!"

Once again, she pulls her arm, touches the hot object, and burns it in the location. Still nothing.

Aggression and hatred are spreading within her. Gripped by anger she expresses her right hand against the metal. The pain is indescribable. But that does not matter. With a jerk she pulls on the subject of saving. It dissolves. But just in this moment countless injections drill into her arm. Because of the reflex -and shock- she dump the key down.

Quickly she goes on her knees and scans. Keeps touching the metal. But she does not find it. Again, she peeks through the gap. It skidded to the wall. Without burning, she can not reach it.

"**41,**

**40,**

**39,**

**38 ...** "

Determined she inserts her arm, as far as possible. But a little bit is still missing. In preparation for the pain, which will come now, she closes her eyes. She presses her left cheek against the metal. Blisters are formed. But she continues.

"**30**"

Just then she can close her hand around the key and pulls it out. Relieved Kathrin dodders to the stairs. As one fearful scream stops her. It is Susan.

"Sue, what happened?"

"I. .. I ... just - iiiii" synchronous to her call, there is a mechanical thunder, "slipped down the slide a bit ... Kat, hurry-iiii!"

"**25**", announces the doll.

Kat is already completely out of breath, while she is running up the stairs. Followed by screams in seconds, a loud roar and the dolls tells of the left time.

'So many levels ...'

Hopefully she looks at the sign, that reports, how many floors she still needs to reach the chutes entry, **'3 .5** '

"Fuck!", she gasps.

"**20**"

But she does not stop. It takes so long. The staircase is so long. But they does not give up.

She continues running. She is completely out of breath. She feels bad. However. 'For Susan.'

She pauses briefly. In her front, it is. The control switch. Inspired by triumphalism, she runs towards it.

"**5**"

And just wants to put the key in, as she stumbles and falls. The piece of metal slips from her hand, "Damned!"

Her happiness is gone. Panic has returned. She keys for the rescue ...

And she can catch it! With an immense force they rammes it into the hole and turns him around. At the same time the doll calls the end of the game, "**0**"

Silence.

Breathing heavily, she falls to the ground. Stays there. She slowly comes to rest again. After a while she starts to call out, "Sue? Are you alive?"

No answer.

Kathrin starts crying. Again, she did not make it to rescue someone who is close to her, "No. No. God. Please don't ..."

She is desperate. Everyone will die. Also, Tobi.

"Kat? Did ya make it? Or are we dead?" Comes suddenly from below.

A very heavy stone falls from her heart. Susan lives.

"No. We both are still alive!"

"There's a way out! A cover!" Susan is also eased. You can hear it clearly, "That was pretty close ... I could see these metal braces already ... I go outa there. Come again ...", healthy, with a few scratching noises, first survivor of this evening, escapes from this hell.

Envious Kathrin holds a while. But after a few moments she stands up with a heavy heart. Goes through the door next to the chute entrance. Leaves the Chute of Death.

**Chapter 14**

A little puzzling about why Mika owns this photo and considering on the name of that woman, Mark Hoffman bows about the plan of Dr. Lawrence Gordon's trap and its components. In mind he takes two iron plates in his hand and screws them together. The necessary parts picked up from Mika's room after he has entered a second time. Overall, there were screws, screw drivers, various metallic components, her laptop and -after some time cogitating- the picture. If he meets her the next time he will confront her. This time she will not be able extricate herself through lies. AND she will tell him who has these 'damned' evidences against him, which John has distributed well before his death, like candy. 'And she belongs to the them damn sure. Then maybe Korey, Gordon ...'  
>Annoyed, he shakes his head. He knows absolutely NOTHING of Gordon, or his apprentices. He neither knows how many they are, nor who belongs to them.<br>To distract himself, he opens her computer, boots it. The logo of the Metropolitan Police Department appears. Followed by a user window. He clicks on it, in the hope that it is not protected by a password. He's lucky. She probably has not expected that he is able to gain access to her room. He would never have rated her so naive ...  
>With scrutinizing eyes, he looks on the desktop for an interesting folder. Theoretically, this could be the PC from his former workplace. So impersonal and neutral ... A few writing programs, folders with labels like '<span>Jigsaw case<span>' or 'Cops' and ... -A smile flits across his lips- ... 'My Documents'. He clicks on it.  
>"Fuck!"<br>'Please enter the password.'  
>He misrepresents his bright blue eyes. But something else attracts his attention at this moment. She had not shut down her computer. She had only put it in the standby mode. This means that he can see through the taskbar the open file -which she had forgot to close-.<br>'If not her personal files, then at least what she had seen last.'  
>There is an email. Mark maximizes the screen. But what the news reveals makes no sense -for him-.<br>"... The test had shown that the first comparison sample is to 99.9999% NOT genetically related to you." He reads silently to himself. He sips his hot cup of coffee, "... The other reference speci-," he pauses. A metallic click gets his undivided attention.  
>"Freeze. Hands behind your head and get up." Orders a male, determined voice. The sound comes close to a policeman.<br>He slowly turns around with the office chair. In his front is Christian Denbow holding his weapon.  
>"My ankle is broken. I can't get up without my hands." Hoffman replies calmly, after he noticed the puzzled look.<br>"D. .. Detective Lieutenant Hoffman? W... what are you doing here? It was said that you had died ...", confused the younger lawman drops the weapon.  
>"Witness protection program. You may should know that Mika's a former victim of Jigsaw. She was afraid she might get 'tested' again."<br>"Why isn't there any report?"  
>"Have you ever heard of 'undercover'? She was afraid, that a cop could be Jigsaw."<br>"P. .. plausible." Unsure Chris looks around, "But why isn't she there, but her room's unlocked?"  
>"She needed a salve for her scars. But she didn't want me to go with her to the drugstore. 'Private'."<br>"Sure ..." , the view of the redhead gets stuck at the desk. The scattered metal parts, the sketch, Mika's laptop ... it all comes to him somehow... dissonant ... Resolutely, he raises the gun again, "A nice story. ... Just that Mika doesn't rub her scars with ointment. In addition, this is HER PC. No one is allowed to use it except of her and… ", he goes a step closer to Hoffman. Chris is trembling with fear, 'Maybe he killed her-', with a nod, he points to the drawings, "I would like get a closer gaze on these drawings, Jigsaw."  
>Hoffman grins a little, 'I wouldn't have expected such conclusions to this puppy. Unfortunately, he's smarter than it's good for him. He has to die. '<br>"Mark Hoffman, I arrest you for assault to murder, murder, attempted murder, ownership and use of narcotics and kidnapping. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say, can and will be used in court against you." , Authoritarian Christian pulls the killer with his shirt collar on his legs, the gun in attack.  
>The Ex-Detective groans. The burden of his ankle feels as if thousand red-hot coals would flock to this place. Apparently he is not able to hold the pain any longer and sinks to the floor.<br>"Don't mess with me, Hoffman. Otherwise, I am forced to shoot you." Furiously the mid-thirties tries to get him back on its feet. Therefore he lowers his guard a little. This uses Hoffman immediately. With vehemence he drives against the gun from Chris's hand and rams the trimmer, which had been under the desk, in his shin. With a painful cry Chris braces on the table, knocks the cup, and falls to the ground. Right next to his opponent who is just about to crawl to the gun. But Chris is not so easy. With the crutch, which lies next to him, he hits on Mark broken ankle.  
>Hoffman moans again. But his goal is just inches away from him. Striving he stretches his right hand for it. 'A little bit. Just a little ...'<br>But suddenly something -or someone- lunges at him, throws him onto his back. On Mark's chest sits Denbow, who closes his hands around his throat and squeezes.  
>Hoffman gets out of air. With all his power, he struggles. Tries to free himself. In vain. Slowly the darkness is spreading in him. The cold hand of death is reaching out for him. Powerless, he let his hands fall backwards onto the floor, 'That's it now ...', but he notices something cold and metallic. With the last bit of strength he is able to mobilize, he grabs the gun, aims it at Christian Denbwos horrified face and pulls the trigger.<p>

**Chapter 15**

All life from Christian Denbows eyes dissolved at that moment in which the bullet of his own service weapon gouged through his brain and the occiput exploded. Lifelessly he collapsed over Mark Hoffman -his idol and his killer-. Blood and brain are dripping down on those who pushes the corpse -in disgust- away. Still with that frightened stare Chris is lying on his back.

Contempt is in Hoffman's posture. But this changes in malicious joy. He was not able to kill someone for a long time. He sits back down on the office chair and looks around. This area has lost much of its lack of color. Now it shimmers in various shades of red and pink. 'She will be surprised.' He thinks satisfied, 'Then this office has a certain resemblance to her bedroom door.'

Yet another thought comes to him at the moment in which his view stops of the growing drops of blood and brain pool. 'The walnut parquet floor must be renewed ... But why did he come? Did he go to a meeting? That'ld explain why he thought I'ld have killed her. Mika owes me a good explanation ... Which reminds me ...', he turns back to the laptop.

'Fuck!'

When Chris fell to the ground he had the cup of coffee, which content poured over the laptop. It is useless. Water damage. Better said 'coffee damage'. Full of aggression, he grabs it and throws it to the body. A loud crack gives him satisfaction. He broke the dead man's neck, or the last part of the skull.

Again he applies himself -in totally calmness- to the trap. So much he wanted to try this to Chris rather than to shoot him ... The prototype is already finished. It lacks only a few small details and the filming of Billy. In the latter he is not even sure if he wants to make it at all...

He is just to come up with an appropriate message for Gordon, a cell phone rings. It is not his. Carefully, he goes on his knees and pulls the phone from the pocket of the dead's blazer. There is a small silver flip phone. On the front display shows 'Incoming Call: Michaela '.

'Mika.' He thinks,' Surely she wanna know what happened to me... '

Without saying anything he declines.

"Chris, what're ya doing in my house?", the voice of the young woman is hysterical and angry and sounds from the speaker.

Hoffman does not respond.

"I've already told ya that I don't want you to just go in, if I don't invite you! I'm not your daughter and, after all, my house is strange for you! If you do this one single time again, I'll report ya because of burglary! Outa there! "

Silence… For a moment.

But she continues aggressive, "ARE YOU DEAF? GET OUTA MY HOUSE!"

"Or what?" Mark could not contain himself any longer for giving a comment. He can almost see how his little friend looks horrified on her mobile phone for a while.

After a while she found her voice again, "So Chris is ..."

"He's resting on the walnut parquet floor of your office. Only I'm just afraid, that he won't be able to wake up so fast again..."

Again she says nothing. But he can hear a faint sob from the other side of the conversation. He knows that Mika is now taking their black slider phone of an Asian company of her strong left hand, in her weaker, right, and hits the airbag of her car or hits its horn. Then she will probably take her left index finger, and strands thus of her dark brown hair in a circular motion around until it is wrapped. Or she takes a piece of paper and starts to draw again. For a left-hander she is amazingly good at it...

"What did you do ...?", her voice is quiet. It's almost like a breath.

"You can imagine that.", His reply, "The same thing will happen with you, if you don't explain immediately why your friend has turned up here and why you haven't answered any of my calls!"

Once again a sob. But her voice is very firm then, "Ask him, I have shaded Korey the whole day and, I'm so sorry, she would've noticed if someone phones all the time! Hoffman I have better things to do than to play your babysitter! "

"Are you sure you shade her at all?", His tone is challenging.

"WHAT? Hoffman, you're still sane? I tail the WHOLE day this little bitch. I haven't eaten anything, nor was I able to sleep the last couple of nights! And what Chris was concerned. He is a good friend! He was just worried about me! I'm very sorry that you don't know what friendship means and what a friend IS! You just killed him! I wanted him out of the house, before he sees you! John was right! You are a murderer! "

"And you are my accomplice." He notes calmly.

"Never! I didn't know what Chris does. And I've tried to stop you trying to kill Dr. Gordon!"

"You helped me to escape."

"BECAUSE HE WOULD'VE KILLED YOU OTHERWISE! Killing people is something unworthy! Something distasteful! John is the only one I obey! He is, well i should better say WAS, my one and only master", she starts screaming.

"And yet. You know who I want to kill. And you're going to help me."

"Otherwise what?", Mika's voice is provocatively.

"Otherwise you'll follow your friend."

"I don't think so! If you kill me, you get arrested. Chris wasn't the only cop. I have, as I said, two entire departments."

"I would put it.", He sounds like her. On the one hand, Hoffman and Mika are very similar. But on the other they are not. They are like two magnets.

"Then do it. You're a murderer.", She is calm again, "Murderers are disgusting. I'll continue to pursue Korey indeed, but not because of you. We also have unfinished business.", Without another word she hangs up.

Mark listens for a few seconds on the phone, even though he knows that nobody is on the other line. He can only think again and again: 'From where do I know her ...?'

**Chapter 16**

Quickened with luck, because of Susans rescue, Kathrin continues. She had managed to save someone! These games are not unwinnable!

Elated she encounters a secondary door. Immediately the distinctive chlorine smell rises -which she noticed since her awakening- into her nose. She finds herself in a large pool hall. That extends a few feet in front of her. It is shallow, has the shape of an isosceles triangle, which always gets deeper as far she would enter the pool.

The shimmering water seems to equal a mirror, except for a few small, outgoing waves, which seem to have their origin somewhere in the deeper part of the basin.

With narrowed eyes, she tries to find the source. A head above the water. The blond, spiky hair, narrow face ... she recognizes him immediately, "Jayden?"

The head moves weakly, "Kat?", His usually soft, caring voice is full of fear.

"Yes, It's me, I'll help ya to get outa here! Stay calm, I was also able to save Sue...!", she does not mention Andrews and Edwards games for a reason. She does not want to worry Jayden Johnson more than he already is.

"We are in a Jigsaw trap !", he begins to cry.

"What makes you think that?", Her heart makes a small, short interruption. He probably guesses what will happen to him. Mainly because he is terrified of water or drowning. His daughter died seven years ago in this way. As a result, his marriage fell apart and his perfect world shattered into thousands of pieces.

They met four years ago in a kind of self-help group. Since then, they are best friends.

Also his job was -what an accident- very helpful for hers. He is an official who is specialized in papers and birth certificates. This allowed the newborn to get a new identity ... Although Kathrin is not sure whether he is not a member just because of her ... Whenever she makes a suggestion, he gives her right. No matter how stupid her idea is. He is totally in love with her...

"How? Susan had often painted the devil on the wall! We haven't listened to her! That's what we have now!", ominous echoes of his voice against.

"I'll get ya outa there, I promise!", tears come back tears in her. He's right...

She looks for the next tablet. In addition to a control panel on the right side of the basin it is. She walks purposefully towards it, pressing on the screen. The doll appears again in the picture

**"Hello Kathrin,**

**This is the game of your secret admirer. Jayden Johnson, which did not fake the birth certificates for the money, but, as you know, because of YOU. Blinded by greed and money you just exploited him, without returning his love. On this way you drowned him further and further into self-doubt and self pity. Both by your selfish nature and by remorse and the loss of his family his 'ideal world' broke in a broken sea. One should not sit in a glass house and throw stones ..."**

The doll laughs shortly,

**"Today, it is up to you to get him out of there or leave him and let him drown: You have sixty seconds to find the remote control in the sea of glass shards and to shut down the mechanism of the wave. If you do not make it, he will be drowned by the simulated ocean waves.**

**Live or die ... Make your choice.** "

The screen turns off again. Kathrin looks uncertain after a clock or the so-called 'broken sea'. The digital clock appears on the tablet just in this, but it stops at 01:00.

Silence.

She only hears the anguished beating of her own heart...

Suddenly, a loud roar fills the air. The floor begins to vibrate. Two meters to her right, it begins to move. A four-meter wide plate -on which the tiles were glued- moves back. The resulting hole is at least two meters deep.

Nervously, she looks around again in this section. The white walls, the girl with a pig mask, which stands in a niche, a further door ... Bemused, she looks again to the alcove in which she believed to have seen a female, youthful figure with a black wool jacket, but of course there is none. Only shadows. She was probably just an illusion...

She looks uncertain again at the digital clock. Although the board has not yet come to rest, it had already begun to count down:

**00:58**

**00:57**

**00:56**

Frantically she turns back to the hole. She breathes in deeply. Then off again. In. Out. In. She just wants to jump into the glass, her admirer starts shouting. His scream is fearful, panicky ... bone-chilling...

She pauses, turns to the head. Slowly the water level begins to raise and sink. Like on the beach.

"Come on! Geme outa here!"

She nods. She closes her eyes. And takes a step forward. Her stomach feels as if it would rise to her heart as she does not feel the ground under her right foot and falls into the pit. With a frantic heart she falls to her knees. Her shins are already slashed now. The glass starts turning red. Disoriented, she looks around for the remote. No. She has to dig.

Like shovels she dugs her hands into the glass, which also tears her hands, and pushes away the pieces. Still nothing.

She continues. The gurgling noise of Jayden just complicates the search. Again and again she has to think about what would happen if she is not able to save him. Nevertheless, the sound of the waves calms a little. She continues searching. She will not give up.

'Please.

Please.

God, help me ...

I must save him ...

Please ...

please ...

I'm begging you ... '

"Kaaaattttt! Come on. Ple-" Abruptly his for help is stopped by a wave.

Even faster she goes on. She has lost her sense of time. 'I have to make it ... I just HAVE to make it ...

I must ...'

Suddenly her slashed hands grab something hard, box-shaped. The remote control!

She takes it and pushes the button. The noise is getting quieter. Silence. Nothing at all. Not a single sound ... She starts to sob. She did not make it. Desperate, she turns around and climbs out of the pit. It's exhausting, but after a short while, she made it. Exhausted and humiliated she lies on the floor. Within seconds a pool of blood forms around her legs and arms. Even from her ear, the blood is still dropping. "No, no, no. Please don't..." She even does not dare to take a look at the corpse. Sadly, she looks at the tablet. 'As expected. **0:01** ...'

Shortly she squints, 'What?'

She made it? She quickly gets up and looks at Jayden. He returns his gaze and begins to laugh. She also. But only briefly, "Jay, help will come soon! Hold on for so long ... I have to go on...", with a heavy heart she leaves him through the door near the pit. While she is leaving the 'Beach Waves', she has a feeling, that she will never see Jayden Johnson again...

**Chapter 17**

A sigh of relief went through the ranks of the apprentices, as Kathrin made it to save her 'secret admirer' -Jayden Johnson-. Both, he and Susan, had mostly -refrain from Tobias- deserved their life. Sue wanted to stop and Jayden did all of this just because of love. Of this, Brad and Ryan can even sing a song, how silly and stupid the rose-colored glasses of love makes. Especially if this is only from one side...

Daniel Matthews looks a little unsteady over his left shoulder. He is worried about Korey. When he and she drugged Susan she received a blow on the head and was unconscious again. It is strictly against the fact that she continues to drive car ... Well ... As long as she still participates with Gordon, she will be picked up from school anyway...

"Are you okay?"

Daniel winces briefly. Since Koreys and Gordon's dispute not a single word has fallen. She is right. John would not have wanted this ... and the 'old hands' know that. He looks to the inquiring person: Adam Stanheight. As far as Daniel knows Adam and Dr. Gordon were locked together -a few years ago- in that bathroom, where they left Hoffman behind ... and ... The same room in which he killed Xavier Chavez to survive...

"Dan, are you okay?" Adam's voice is a little depressed. It also sounds like a whisper ... No, it IS a whisper. It seems the photographer does not want that anyone is listening to him.

"Y... yes.", The short answer of the Matthews.

"Whose side are you on? I know that Korey and you are friends ... but do you agree with her? In all points? Will you help her with her plan?"

Daniel hesitates for a heartbeat. But his sound of his voice sounds more seriously, "I'll help. And you?"

A hardly noticeable nod from Adam. Then he looks at his watch, "She doesn't have much time left ... How do you think Kathrin will decide in the last test?"

"I donno. I even can't make a guess."

"How would your father have acte-", he stops abruptly when he sinks in WHO Daniel's father was.

This lowers his eyes a little, "He had tried to save me. But I donno if he would have gone so far ... Well ... In the end he died because of me... so ..."

"No. He died -if any- FOR you. Not because of you. He was too stupid not to follow the rules ... it was his bad luck ...", with a friendly pat on the back, he cheers the second youngest of this troop up .

Daniel just begins to grin, when suddenly the door shuts with a loud bang.

Startled all turn, to see if it is Korey, who entered. Apart from Gordon.

Middle of the room is Korey. Her hands are covered in blood, her hair stuck to her head by her shower and she literally trembles with rage. A little blood trickles down her right corner of the mouth.

"Rey, what's going on?" Asks Daniel irritated. So angry he had rarely seen her. At the same time she acts depressed, because every time she cannot handle with a sad situation, she bites her tongue or cheek. The last time she was LIKE THAT, she saw John's corpse.

"What's going on?" Her voice is hysterically and -simultaneously- calm. So she always sounds when something huge is not running according to plan, "THAT'S wrong!" With anger, she strips off her gloves and throws them on the floor.

Now Dr. Gordon turns to face her. His navy blue eyes survey the bundle of latex first, then his gaze wanders from her feet to her head.

"I hope Kathrin is in the next twenty minutes in her son's room. Larry, with OUR aids, we can't disconnect his veins: he'll bleed to death! The wounds broke through again. I have tried to doctor them again ... but I donno, how long this first aid will hold. I just have the subject medicine in school. I AM NOT the doctor in this team."

"In some minutes she'll have arrived him. Then this will show if your help was useful.", He returns with a slightly sarcastic tone in the second set.

"And then, if he survives, we need to get help immediately!"

"Susan has survived and climbed through the door. One hour after the deadline she will be freed, and she finds a cell phone, with whom she can call for help."

"Until then, Tobias will also be dead.", tears of rage come into Koreys sight.

"We'll see."

She says nothing after this. After all, he is the 'next heir', not her. Except that it is pointless to argue with him. That was -some minutes before- the same with Hoffman. Sadly she sits on the chair to Daniels left.

Silently -and stubborn- she watches the monitors.

Her eyes fall back to Tobi.

She feels sorry for him. She feels sorry that he -perhaps- will not survive this night ... due to human error ... With John such a situation would never had been. NEVER! Anxiously she wants back in that time. Back when everything was so easy. No murderer who wants to kill the master. And ABOVE ALL, NO error ...

"What did you do at the Beach Waves?" Lawrence interrupts the silence. He has changed since his test. Korey can already understand why his wife left him ... Then it was Korey, which stunned him, and brought him into the bathroom. Not -as he still thinks- Amanda or John. She was responsible for Adam. John polluted the bathroom and Mika poisoned Zep. And Hoffman always warned them for new investigators who might be uncomfortable, like, as at this time, David Tapp. Each had his job. As well as Amanda, Mika and she did not come in the way, despite of working together, the former evening was very peacefully...

"What?" Completely ripped out of her mind, she looks at him with her bright blue eyes. Dark hair and eyes, with such a color is very rare.

"What did you do at the Beach Waves? I saw you."

"I opened the pit. Because you wanted to start these tests this evening I wasn't able to install the transmitter anymore, with which the pit could've opened from here. So I've started this game locally with a remote control, which, unfortunately works in the radius of some meters."

"What, if she recognized you?", His tone is threatening.

"She didn't. And if so, then I might come to prison, but YOU don't. I won't have betrayed anyone. Don't worry. It is, after all, my business. Not yours."

The doctor shakes his head after he rises with the aid of his cane.

"Where're you going?" She is confused.

But he does not answer. He just goes to the door.

"Larry!"

On the doorknob his hand comes to rest briefly, "You should know this. Tonight is not just one game to be finished ..." With these words he leaves the room.

Shaking her head, she turns to the other apprentices, "What do you say?"

**Chapter 18**

Still feeling persecuted by the feeling, that she will never see Jay and Sue again Kathrin wants to face up her last test.

She faces the seemingly last door, which is part of a trap, because with blood-red colour 'The final test' was written on it. Perhaps it was this girl -rather woman- Kathrin believed to have been imagined. She cannot say why, but she is a hundred percent sure that this writing comes from a female.

With a trembling and bleeding left hand, she presses down the door latch. This area was –probably- just for the staff because there is no trace, for example, of the formerly sterile, white tiles. To be anticipate of the sign that hangs on the wall to her right and which proclaims, that the door through -which she has to walk through- as a 'Warehouse'.

Another last time she looks at her clock.

**00:09.30**

She swallows. She breathes in deeply. Then, with the last spark of courage that she can mobilize, she pushes the door open.

The space, which extends to her looks, is frightening large. The ceiling is about four meters high. The guillotines are fixed approximately in the middle. Just below is Tobias. He is tied to this cross. His right leg and left arm were severed from his torso. In the places where his limbs were attached to the body, white bandages are wrapped. She can see the shimmering red of his blood and flesh through them.

"Tobi?"

His head moves slightly.

Relieved, she walks up to him. But after a few steps, she stops.

A TV that is right next to the cross switches on. A man wracked by cancer, in the early fifties, with white-blond hair and bright blue eyes appears instead of the doll. He wears a red sweater under a black jacket with red lining, as well. John Kramer is in a wheelchair as he pulls back his left hand off the camera. He is silent, shortly.

But then he speaks with his soothing voice, "Hello Kathrin.

This evening you went through several tests and left a few people -whom you called 'friends'- to their fate, others you saved...

Ahead of you lies your son. The foundation for your business. You see him as a trophy or even a replacement for your little daughter, Jenny, who died twenty-one years ago.

With the robbery of Tobias from his parents twenty years ago you lost all belief.

Over the years you got more and more accomplices for yourself, which were, in Tobias's childhood, just like pillars or -in this case- nails of your lies. They told him, for example, about his father, whom you, in reality, NEVER met, or about his birth, which you obviously never witnessed.

You enticed innocent people with money and power to support your machinations, regardless of their feelings and mental states. Like Susan Morrigs. She was the half sister of Lynn Denlon, who was killed in one of my games. You paid no attention to her or her warnings ... "

Again he stops, shortly. He lets these sentences sink in.

"In this last test, you can prove how much you love your son. Now you can show that he is no trophy, but your own 'flesh and blood'. Blood has not to be thicker than water...

In your last remaining minutes you have to make your so-called 'son' the ultimate sacrifice.

His life depends on you.

Was it nothing more than a personal fill-in? So you have to wait a few moments and you can go home, after the deadline. But without him. He will lose his last -and most important- limb: the head.

But has he become your son, so you can say him goodbye and use the knife on the TV. You know what needs to be done then. Only in this way he can be saved -by your blood-.

Live or die ... Make your choice. "

John leans forward and turns the camera off again.

The screen is black.

For the time being.

Blue numbers announce the remaining time: 00:05.43

Shocked Kathrin goes to the TV and picks up the knife with her left hand. Shortly, she screens it. She observes the reflection of her mirror image in the blade. Her gaze shows, that her whole, safe world has collapsed. Just like Jaydens.

Even then, after Jenny's death, she wanted to commit suicide. But it was Edward, who 'donated' her a one year old child. Tobias gave their life a new meaning. But with this she became this monster, which robs other parents their children, like Jenny was robbed her. She is not better than her murderer...

Sadly she goes to her adopted son and caress with her right hand through his blond, curly hair. His sky blue eyes with gray diamond-shaped speckles look on her.

"I'm so sorry ..." she cries again, "So sorry for... Everything. Also, that I robbed you from your true family ..."

"I already knew it for ages...", he returns.

"Why have you never told me anything?", Kathrin is surprised and confused.

"I didn't want this illusion of a 'perfect family' to be destroyed..." with pain he can wrench a smile.

Kathrin looks at the clock again.

**00:03.59**

She gives her son one last kiss on the forehead. With an "I love you." she walks behind the top of the cross.

Determined she presses the knife -as she had learned in Ed's the medical course in the past- her vein along the inside of her forearm. Immediately the blood flows from the wound.

To speed up the loss she makes squats.

"One.

Two, ha

Three.

Four, ha

F. .. five.

S ... six. ..

S .. e .. v .. en.

E. .. i .. g ... h ... t"

After the eighth she feels dizzy. First she drops to her knees, then on her belly. She feels how the warm, red lifeblood leaves her body. The tears dried up. All fear is gone. Deadness comes over her. You just want to sleep yet...

One last time, Kathrin looks at the clock.

**00:00.03**

Darkness surrounds her entirely. She does not regret it... She regrets nothing, but the monster she became...

Peaceful she falls asleep...

**Chapter 19**

He never expected this! Dr. Lawrence Gordon had put his hand into the fire that Kathrin Scorpion would decide AGAINST her son ... and not FOR him. Although she knew that Tobias will never be able to walk again or to do reasonable work, she gave her life for his. Korey was the only one who was firmly convinced that this test series will end this way. Although she had to kill her adoptive father, she still believes in the good in 'non-biological' parents. He abused her, killed her mother -everything is also similar to Mika's past- only with the difference that Mika started to hate family. It is not possible for an illegitimate child to get far in this world...

He sighs and limps a bit along the barren hallway, that leads to the suppliers exit. His apprentices had begun, immediately after Kathrin's death to 'tidy up'. They called it every time, when they abolished their monitor equipment and deleted all optional or potential traces.

Next to the first door on his right, he stops and opens it. Daniel is in it -armed with bucket and mop- and cleans the 'bathroom' in which Korey had lost -about an hour ago- consciousness.

Briefly the Matthews looks up. But then he gets instructed -by a nod- to continue cleaning.

"Take care of yourself, Doctor.", Daniel's voice resonates Gordon out of the shower afterwards, when this continues his way to check all and then -finally- to get rid of his -and all- threat.

In the past he got the plan of this small -but effective- trap, as John passed. Korey stood paralyzed and crying next to her so-called "true and only master" while Lawrence found an envelope -with his name on it- in a drawer. She knew that FBI Special Agent Peter Strahm would not react to John's warning and she wanted -to realize the outcome of Jeff's game- to see John's corpse with her very own eyes. Even then she claimed that there was more behind Amanda's shot at Lynn Denlon. In shock she said over and over again that Hoffman had his fingers in this game, but no one believed her. Not even her best friend, Daniel. Wrongly as it turned out. Korey had the ability -just as John- to anticipate the actions of human. And Amanda would have -according to her- never done such a thing ...

Reviling in memories Lawrence also passes the entry to the Diving Board Trap, on which Korey had one of her syncopes, five days ago.

Brad is just about to take the small SD card, on which the recordings of Billy are.

"How many?," asks Gordon, as he glances at his watch on his right wrist. Alison gave it to him for their fifth wedding anniversary... "Just thirty minutes left..."

"Ryan takes, apart from the tape, all the remaining records. I have this one," he opens his right hand and shows Gordon the card, "then the one of the Tenning-Booth and the 'Introduction'."

"Very well. Then you're almost done?"

"Jo."

With another nod of understanding Lawrence leaves Andrew Hortings trap.

Even Brad calls him something afterwards, but he cannot understand what.

He continues to walk. To Tobias' Cross-trap. Adam should to remove Kathrins clock again...

At that time he was very astonished, when Adam stood, just after the eye operation of Michael, in his front. Previously, he had to get Adam promised to bring help, but before he could make this, Amanda announced that he was dead.

'Excessive blood loss.' She had said.

Her face was more funny when this seemed to be resurrected from the dead. She tore her brown eyes wide and her jaw shut down. It looked as if a spirit -or a zombie- would stand in front of her. Just as shocked and paralyzed.

'B... but... I... 've... k... ill... ed... you... ', she whispered in panic

'No.', but the photographer was laughing all the more 'Rockstar, I acted dead.'

Everyone looked at Adam like her. Except of John -of course- and Mika, who brought him out of the basement.

Confused, something different comes to Gordon's mind. 'Mika HAD a key for the cuffs!'

She told him this proudly after she had freed him from the shock. Then, a bit provocatively, she held one of the saving keys in front of his nose.

'Why should Hoffman cut off the foot then?'

Still pondering, he wants to visit his best friend for some moments, just as those leaves the hidden door of the Cross-Trapp. The Clock adorns his wrist. Miraculously, this is not a bit smeared with blood.

"Hey, Larry.", examining, he looks to his former teammate, "Has the time come?"

Gordon nods, "His trap's in my trunk ..."

"He has no chance, right?" Adam seems to be a little depressed. He is a really bad actor and a worse liar. You can see that he is lying on a distance of three hundred metres, against the wind.

'Maybe he knows something about Hoffm-', inwardly he shakes his head. In return, he nods again, "John gave me the trap-sketches. I just changed it a little."

"Good luck ...", with a last friendly pat on the back, the one who is responsible for the stalker photos, walks along the corridor, Lawrence came from.

He continues.

In his heart is gnawing feeling of having forgotten something.

'I've the trap.

I know Hoffman's whereabouts.

Thank god he doesn't know mine.

AND Mika won't step in my back.

She knows who the "true heir" is. And this is NOT Hoffman.

And, -contrary to Koreys views- Michaela Connor despises killing...

She's not like Hoffman. But she is also as violent... '

In his mind he goes through the following development of this evening, the doctor finally leaves the pool.

Fresh air flows towards him. After a full evening of chlorine and hydrogen chloride-smelling rooms, it still seems to be fresher.

Every time if he finishes his shift at the hospital and does not go to his integrated apartment, because he visits his apprentices, he feels just like now ... Happy ... Relieved... In a way ... Free...

Determined, he limps to his dark car.

"Larry, I'm begging you... don't do that...!"

He stops when he was about to open the door to enter. He turns to this voice. It belongs to Korey.

She opened her wool coat, so that he can see her school uniform through this gap. Because of Mika she could not go home and change clothes. Her long hair is hold back by a black Alice band. This does not prevent her dark hair to be blown into her face from the light west wind. With her strong left hand she holds back these strands, which would impair her eyes or mouth.

"Korey, I've already told you, what I'll do. And YOU can't stop me. After tonight we don't have to live any longer in the constant fear, that Hoffman betrays or kills us. We're able to push all or doings in his shoes then. "

"Yes, but ... Larry ... you'll be a murderer ... please ... don't do that ... I'm begging you ... murderers are exactly the people that we are testing here," her voice is shrill. She starts with her right index finger to wrap -in a circular motion- her hair around it. She always does that when she's nervous.

"You've to make some sacrifices ...", determined he looks into her blue-gray eyes.

"Don't do that." She whispers almost inaudibly, "I don't wanna test you ..." a small tear tumbles down her cheek, "You're my friend. My father substitute. My role model ... I don't want that. Please... "

"Korey, you can't dissuade me from this decision. It is to our best. You have to understand me."

"No!", Her mood has changed. She is incredibly angry. She starts to scream, "NO! I don't understand this because you're as much a murderer as Hoffman is!" Angry she turns her back and trudges back towards the swimming pool.

Gordon shakes his head uncomprehendingly. 'She's so stubborn that she doesn't understand my intentions ... Hoffman's death is a benefit for all. She was too much blinded by Johns ideals... '

He turns back to his vehicle, puts his hand on the doorknob.

He briefly stops and sighs, "Am I really like him...?", His eyes fall on the side window. He had changed on that day when he lost his foot. Both. Physically and mentally:

His attitude towards life has become more profound. He could no longer work in the Angel of Mercy Hospital because of his reputation. Therefore he applied for a transfer...

His gaze wanders over the reflection. The parking lot is located peacefully in the moonlight. Four cars parked here...

'Wait a sec...' He squints, looks exactly in the mirror, 'These are five...'

Suddenly a shadow flits across the screen. Startled, the doctor turns...

Nothing... the quiet parking lot... not more...

Lawrence wants to enter, relieved at last, when suddenly a man in a pig mask and a dark jacket is standing in front of him. With routine motions that person grabs him by the shoulder and drills a syringe into his neck.

Gordon can feel how his heartbeat slows because of this narcotic. Fatigue comes over him. His legs accommodate. Gordon looks -with blurred vision- to this Pighead, "Hoffma-"

Everything is black.

The doctor loses consciousness...

Chapter 20

A feeling comes over Mark Hoffman, of which he believed to have it lost for a long time: satisfaction.  
>Not the kind you feel when you get promoted or get married... no... That intense, exhilarating and liberating feeling one can feel only when you 'vanish' hated people.<br>He felt this only six days ago, the last time, but this emotion does not stay there for long:  
>After he had killed Jill Tuck, he was imprisoned by Gordon.<br>After killing the pesky FBI Agents -Perez and Erickson-, Jill tested him with the Reverse Bear Trap.  
>After Strahms transformation into a sandwich it was revealed that Perez was still alive.<br>On the day of Amanda Young's murder, the satisfaction of that time was very intense, Strahm survived 'The Box'.  
>But none of these actions could be exceeded in their perception of the murder of Seth Baxter... even if he had to join John, a few days later.<br>Satisfied, he sits on Mika's office chair.  
>With his seemingly quiet eyes he gazes on the laptop, Christian Denbows dead body and gets stuck at the unconscious body of Lawrence Gordon. The doctor lays on his stomach -all four limbs stretched- on the ground, next to the cop and slowly his upper body expands and depends.<br>Hoffman cannot get over the self-admiration: despite his broken ankle, he managed to drug the doctor AND -though rather poorly than good- to carry him to the first floor. Satisfaction hides all other physical ailments...  
>"Jigsaw's new heir ... Why don't I laugh?", His voice is literally dripping with contempt and hatred.<br>He takes his cane and stands firmly with its tip between Gordon's right collarbone and shoulder blade. He does not know why he did it. Perhaps because Gordon had given him so much trouble?  
>Gleefully he gets up and takes the basic structure of the trap in his hand. It is a two-lane strip that will be strapped around the neck and the waist of the victim. That's what he does.<br>'Gordon's game will be played in this room.', A pleasant showers intensified his pleasure only, 'Mika won't look bad when she shows up to the final stage of the game. I'm looking forward to her facial expression when his intestines spread out on the floor, which already is in need of renovation. Gordon will suffer pain... He will be torn apart piece by piece from the inside out... '  
>He sits back and closes his eyes, "Vengeance is mine..."<br>"What the-?" Asks suddenly a frightened, female voice. Mika's voice.  
>He opens his eyes, 'She's earlier than expected.' But actually he does not really care.<br>She stands in -disbelieving- in her door. Her gaze wanders over from Chris, Gordon and apparently remains attached to him, "What have you done?", This question is a breath, but it sounds calm.  
>"I pursued my aim."<br>"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?", Now she starts to scream. It is remarkable how quickly her emotions change. In one second, she is still quiet and calculating, and in the other she could kill someone.  
>"What I had planned from the beginning."<br>"Kill Chris? Or do you mean to break into my room? I should've let you back down there! You're a murderer!"  
>"And you are a little liar." His quiet reply.<br>He throws the photo of her room at ahead her feet. In Chris' brain mass, "Who's that?" He asks with a slightly ominous undertone.  
>Her blue-gray eyes dart across the picture. She seems to know what this boils down, "I think, there was a time you really looked better than now."<br>"WHO IS THIS WOMAN?", and again they have swapped roles.  
>"You'd like to know this, huh? But I won't tell you. Do you know why? 'Cause it has to worry you a goddamn, fucking, wet Shit." She grins triumphantly with her full lips.<br>"Mika, WHERE IS YOUR MOTHER?", He is threatening.  
>"Keep it up like that and you'll follow her. Oh, Sorry, I forgot. YOU'll go into hell. My mom is in heaven."<br>Incredulous, he looks at her. 'Since when is she that religious?' This beautiful woman is dead. That is the reason, why he could spend the night in her bedroom!  
>"Now I understand why you were tested.", He begins to smile. It is invidious, "YOU've killed her. She wrote the name of the murderer on the closest door. You dishonest little piece of...", but now his eyes fall back on the photo.<br>"I loved my mum! Her husband killed her! With my very own eyes I saw how he slit open her body. I saw how the blood spread over the floor. I saw how she stood up the last time and  
>how she wrote my name on my bedroom door. As she had written the 'A' she died! Than her husband... had begun to eat her... He was the Piece-Killer! He also killed -in his youth- the husband and the child of this Kathirn Scorpion..."she starts to sob.<br>"Who was your father?", although he had heard her story, but it sounded to him like an Oscar-deserving lie.  
>"What?"<br>"You said I know something about your biological father."  
>"John said this.", then her gaze falls on the photo one more time. She understands immediately, what he wants to ask, "Mark, when was this party?"<br>Irritated, he looks at her, "About eighteen years ago."  
>"How old am I?", although she had never mentioned her age, he would rate her right.<br>"Ninetee-", a measure of relief comes over him. So he can kill her -without any remorse-, "So you've gambled your last protection away."  
>"And you yours...", she brings out a cell phone. Her cell phone. This one of the Japanese brand was deferred and a number was entered. The two. Her thumb rests on the 'accept call' button.<br>"Our agreement is null and void." Says Mika. Her hand trembles.  
>"However ...", Mark has a threatening tone again.<br>As if on cue, she makes on the heel. At that moment, he takes one of his crutches, which she gave him, and 'impales' it between her legs, just as she wanted to flee.  
>She stumbles. The phone slips from her hand. Her head bangs against the door frame and she falls to the ground. Dazed, she tries to stand up. In vain. She hurt her left hand, some days ago. Therefore she cannot get up. She slips on the floor again.<br>Confident of victory Hoffman hobbles over to her. He grabs her by the neck and drags her back on her feet. With force, he smashes, once again, her head against the frame. Her grief-stricken moan sounds pleasantly in his ears.  
>She falls back on the ground. She lies on the floor. Unconscious. His gaze falls on the cell phone. It chooses. He immediately lets go of her and switches off the device, "You're not able to ask anyone for help..."<br>Thoughtfully, he goes back to Gordon and removes the basic components of the trap -from which there is no escape-.  
>Once more he examined the bar. The blades, which he wants to install, will go through her body and tear her apart. If she would not have reacted that aggressively, she -maybe- would have survived this night.<br>He affixes -in murderous mood- the bar on her neck. He imagines how Mika coils up in pain, when the blade cuts through her body, as if through butter. Inwardly, he can hear her anxious, desperate cry for help.  
>But he will not help her.<br>No one will help her...  
>But on the other hand, he is also under time pressure. He cannot say exactly when she would wake up. Mark knows not, how hard she banged against the frame, the first time...<br>And he also thinks that the full level of her pain would not be fair. At least Gordon believed because of her, that he had sawed off his foot...  
>His inhuman gaze sweeps once more along her body. Blood trickles from the right corner of her mouth. Her frayed fringe is clotted by the red body fluid. Slowly her chest raises and lowers. Her legs are bent so that her black, short trench coat has slipped down a little. She is wearing a black pleated skirt with white collar and black, knee-high motorbike leather boots, which are red on the inserter of the zipper. Her head is laid on Christian Denbows shins and turned to him -Mark Hoffman-.<br>He shakes his head and turns to the desk.  
>The blades lie there.<br>Large and sharp.  
>His mirror image shows joy and lust to kill.<br>Again, Mark turns to the unconscious and will hobble to her ... but she is not on the place, where he left her...

Panic Mika crawls to the stairs. She has to get out, otherwise he will kill her...  
>When she heard his angry steps, she tries to get up. Shaky, she stands on her legs. She feels dizzy.<br>Soon she will reach the stairs...  
>A small piece...<br>Just a tiny...  
>The first stage is within her reach...<br>Then a hand grabs the fundamental component of the trap, Mark had attached on her back.  
>Scared she turns around and looks right in the murder-obsessed eyes of Mark Hoffman.<br>Her heart misses a beat...

With his right hand the Ex-Cop grabs his victim at her throat. Her face tells everything. She is afraid. He would feel the same... But she was very helpful to him. She could continue to help him... So he decides to give her one final, life-saving chance, "I will spare you, if stay silent and assist me."  
>Angry, wishing his destruction, her unusual eyes stare in Marks, "I'd rather die, murderer."<br>"We can arrange this." He looks at her one last time before he does her life in. Although she knows that he will make his threat true, she sticks to her principles. She is determined.  
>"A few last words?" He does not show his secret admiration.<br>"I only regret that I've saved you ...", with the end of Michaela Connors sentence he pushes her down the stairs. She flips over several times and rolls down the steps.  
>Motionless she stays on the laminate in front of the front door.<br>The eyes wide open.  
>Her body slightly twisted.<br>Her chest does not move...  
>The last tear in her life trickles down her cheek.<br>A little he regrets to have killed her... But he had no choice... She would have fought so long against him, until one of both would have died...  
>For the last time he looks into her eyes. They have something familiar, 'If she would have reacted differently...'<br>Then with a loud and irritated sigh, he turns around. Gordon is waiting...  
>But suddenly, in this instant, a Pighead stands in his front. Armed with a syringe. With his reflexes he tries to knock this person out, but another holds his arms from behind -with an overcommon police armlock-, "Korey, you bitch."<br>In response to this sentence, it pierces the syringe into his neck.  
>Hoffman feels, how this drug widespreads in his body. His limbs are paralyzed. Fear comes over him. He is afraid to miss something ... afraid to die...<br>He drops to his knees. They are not able to bear his weight any longer. Then he falls on his belly. A dark shadow falls over him... Everything loses intensity... The satisfaction is gone...  
>Mark Hoffman loses consciousness...<p>

Last Chapter:  
>Chapter 21<p>

The light flickers.  
>The area has seen better days.<br>The wallpaper is peeling off. Gray, moss-covered concrete walls are exposed at those places.  
>The furniture has been placed on the walls and also fell victim to nature. Just like the walls.<br>The once magnificent parquet floor had begun to bulge by the moisture. Cracks have formed. In some places it is torn apart.  
>In the middle of that sinister room Mark Hoffman is slowly regaining consciousness. With an aching neck, he raises his head, which was laid on his chest. He sits.<br>In short, he looks around.  
>He does not know this place...<br>Suddenly he remembers everything. Also, how -or by whom- he has come here: Korey. She had, after he killed Mika, drugged him and put him in Gordon's planned trap. He knew he had missed something!  
>Seized with anger, he stands up. Better said he tries. His hands were tied to the backs and his legs were tied of the chairs. He shakes the police handcuffs, but they do not solve themselves. Of course. He shall to die here.<br>"Gordon, you son of a bitch!", He knows that the doctor had planned all this for him. Perhaps this gained back his consciousness again and watches with amusement -with a camera- how he -Mark Hoffman- panic tries to escape from a trap, of which is no escape, "I'll kill you!" These threats are useless. Mark knows this, but with this, he can choke his rising panic.  
>"I want to see this...", answers a male, familiar voice behind him. He is close... Too close...!<br>Startled, he turns his torso to the left.  
>On a chair, behind his, someone is tied up. Just slowly Hoffman can recognize who this man is, who just looks over his shoulder as he does.<br>The other prisoner has blonde hair and navy blue eyes.  
>"Gordon, what for an insane game are you playing here?", presses the mass murderer between his teeth.<br>"I just wanted to ask you the same..." he replies. Lawrence's voice is quiet. As calm as it was then, when Hoffman watched banned -via the computer of the MPD- his game with Adam and the two just woke up.  
>Again Hoffman pulls the cuffs, "Whose sick game is it then?"<br>In response a roller door -to his left- defers just at this moment.  
>Bright, blinding light flows towards them.<br>A silhouette enters. It seems to wear a knee length coat. Hoffman cannot tell who it is.  
>Blinded by the brightness he squints. He can only see how that person pushes towards the door again and dips this room into twilight again.<br>He cannot identify that person. His eyes must first get used to this gloom, but when this person came in, he could have sweared -with his first glance- that it was Mika...  
>But that is impossible... After all HE had killed her!<br>"Are you awake? Good..."  
>And yet... this female, calm, soft but sad voice is very familiar to him.<br>Gordon either, "Korey? Damn, what's this? We've Hoffman! Lemme out!"  
>It comes one step closer.<br>With a practiced movement, she pulls off the pig mask.  
>And actually ... Korey Bishop stands before them.<br>Her slightly opened, black wool jacket shows her black pleated skirt with white collar, white blouse with a tie and the emblem of their school underneath. She's wearing black, knee-high motorcycle boots and her back long, dark hair is hold back with a blood-red Alice band. Her pony is a little bit glued with a liquid.  
>Her pretty, doll-like face reflects sadness and anger at the same time. Her bright, blue-gray eyes scrutinize the subjects carefully. There is a small blood speck on the right corner of her full lips, which destroys the peaceful in her face and lets her look like a corpse. Or as the female version of Billy.<br>"You bitch!" More hatred is spreading in Mark. In such a state he had already killed more people, "Set me free!"  
>"Or what?", Challenging she stands with her hands on her hips, and he notices that she is acting more carefully with her left hand than with their right.<br>"Rey, lemme go!" Now the doctor sounds anxiously either.  
>However, she just shakes her head, "I'm terribly sorry, Larry, but I warned you ..." she looks to Hoffman, "and you were also asked to stop, Marky."<br>The last word makes him shudder. This emphasis... this talk... this contempt in her voice when she said this provocative belittlement of his name... she sounds just like, "Mika?"  
>She grins.<br>His eyes widen, "Damn, what's going on here?" Fear spreads in him. Fear and shock.  
>Shortly she closes her eyes and takes her hair -on the hair line- in her hands. She starts to pull on them as she opens her eyes again. The brown hair slips through her palms. But suddenly, at about the point where her hair would touch her shoulders, the long strands of hair fall to the ground. Finally, she takes off the Alice band.<br>Mika is in front of them. She looks a bit younger, but it is her.  
>Everything seems to make sense, in the moment her extensions touch the ground:<br>When she entered the factory of John the first time -in this time it was this display dummy factory- she recognized Hoffman in the second she saw him.  
>Confused, a few months later, she went to her master, who already had an idea how everything will play after his death, 'I'll ask Gordon to get rid of Hoffman, if he kills Jill. Lawrence'll leave him in the bathroom... Wouldn't you do anything, this would be murder...<br>I want you free Mark. He knows something about your father. '  
>'B... But what would Larry say? He'll get panic and try to kill Hoffman...!', she did not know how she should react to this future music. At that moment she thought, that John seemed to have ignored that Lawrence only came back because of the Stockholm syndrome and does not completely understand the real views of Jigsaw.<br>'You'll take care of both. Attempt to prevent them to kill each other.'  
>'How? If I help Hoffman, Larry won't talk to me... And I don't have the gift to split my body... '<br>'Why?'  
>At that time, Korey Bishop was born.<br>The confusing network starts to solve itself:  
>The same eye and hair colour, the same, full lips, the size. Both were left-handed. Both had similar tests. Both had terrible adoptive fathers. But no one had seen both at the same time in the same room...<br>The injuries agree and the mutual blaming the other one is a murderer and could be -by the point of ruthlessness and brutality- related Amanda.  
>Thus, Mika even could easily get 'Koreys' diary...<br>That was the reason, why she was so rare with Hoffman. She was -while she claimed to observe Korey and was not available- in school or with Gordon. In the latter, she even learned how to doctor Hoffman's ankle. And on her free day she freed Hoffman and destroyed the evidences in the MPD...  
>The two men are speechless. They just stare at the young woman.<br>Triumphantly, she takes a photo from her coat pocket and looks at it briefly, "You know Mark... If I wouldn't have this syncopes, you really would've killed me. I've learned with an early age, how to fall without getting seriously hurt.", she looks up," Do you know who had syncope either? My mum. "  
>She throws the same image at Hoffman's, as he did some hours before.<br>"Her name was, at that time, Korey Connor. Later, she married a man named Jack Bishop...  
>It's incredible, what make up and a different hair style makes for an age difference..."<br>He understands what she says between the lines... She is really... his daughter? This second comparison sample in this mail, was HIS?  
>Korey Connor ... Why did not this name occur to him earlier?<br>At that time when John changed her life by a test, she changed her name. She did not want to be the slave of this cannibal, anymore! She wanted to live a free life! So she adopted her mother's maiden name in the hospital...  
>When the predicted day of Jill's murder came and she freed Hoffman, she immediately knew that he would not recognize her. With makeup and short hair, she was ALWAYS appreciated older.<br>Just few knew about her true father: John, Chris and Anika. But all three never said a word about Mark. Chris envied him... He would have been so proud, if he was Mika's father...  
>"As I said, I warned you.<br>You'll notice that you're wearing the trap, you built for the other. You have to save each other, otherwise you'll die here together. I call this 'Bondom trap'... "  
>"You won't get away with this!", Gordon has found his voice again, "My apprentices are-"<br>"What apprentices? Do you mean these ones?" She shows her Japanese mobile phone, which she took from her jacket pocket, enters a single digit, it seems to be the '2' and picks up call.  
>Not a second later the sliding door opens and four male figures in pig masks stand -in the saving- corridor.<br>"They realized that what you're trying to teach the test subjects doesn't cover with your own actions." One last time she eyeballs the two, "I'm so sorry, Larry ... Dad ..." Michaela Connor turns to the door and walks toward it.  
>The desperate cries of Mark Hoffman and Lawrence Gordon follow her.<br>When she leaves the room, she makes on her heel and turns to the two one last time as she turns off the light.  
>Her hand is resting on the knob of the door.<br>Fear of death is about Hoffman. Tested by his own daughter! He yells out the fullest body.  
>But Mika just replies, "Let the game begin.", and she closes the door with sweep.<br>It is dark again.

The end of SAW VIII  
>(SAW IX will come soon)<p> 


End file.
